Affordable Classic Auto Insurance in California
Getting classic auto insurance in California is rather easy. All you have to do is add your new classic vehicle to your regular car insurance policy. But is that the wise thing to do? I would say it isn’t. If you add your classic car to your regular auto insurance in California that would mean that if you total your vehicle, they will give you the same as they give for every other kind of car–what it’s worth after depreciation. For a car that is forty years old or more, that won’t leave you with much, and it doesn’t take into account the classic value of the car.
Getting specialty classic auto insurance in California is slightly more difficult. Normally, there are some qualifications that you must have in order to insure your car with specialty classic auto insurance in California.
- A limited amount of yearly mileage.
- A few years of driving experience.
- Another car that is for regular use.
- No business usage.
- The car must be a certain age or over it.
After you qualify according to these standards, you can buy real classic auto insurance in California. While there are some companies that provide regular auto insurance policies as well as classic, it might be better to go to a specialty company for your classic auto insurance in California. It might cost a little more, but the classic auto insurance company will have the experts.
If you are going to get classic auto insurance in California, it would be advisable to insure your classic car under an agreed value car insurance policy. In order to do this, you have to agree with the car insurance agent on what that value will be, so that if you total your classic car, there will already be a set amount.
Typically, if the problems that your car has as a result of the accident are less than the amount of the agreed value, then the car can be fixed. However, if they are more, than you will be given the agreed value. One thing that you must remember is that after a repair, the car will lose some value.
Understanding California Car Insurance Rules and Terminology
When you’re buying your California car insurance online, you will usually come across a lot more car insurance terms than you would if you were buying them in an office or with an agent over the phone. The good thing about having an agent is that they will be there to explain rules and terms to you. However, more and more people are realizing that they don’t need an agent, and can in fact get all of their car insurance online. As a result, more confusion can happen because the only person there to explain car insurance terms to you is you yourself. I’ve made a list of common terms that you will encounter while buying your car insurance online. Hopefully it will make the process much easier.
- Actual cash value: This is the amount that your car is worth, after depreciation, and is what you receive after your vehicle is totaled in a car accident.
- Benefit: this is what you get when you file a claim, paid by the car insurance online company.
- Bodily injury liability: this is for if you get into an accident that you cause, to take care of the medical coverage for the injured people in the other vehicle.
- Claim: when you get into a car accident and you ask to get money for your coverage based on damages.
- Collision: This is coverage for whenever you get into an at fault accident to cover the damages on your own property.
- Comprehensive: coverage for things such as vandalism, theft, and damages due to natural disaster.
- Deductible: the part of the expenses that you have to pay before your car insurance coverage kicks in.
- Exclusion: something that is not covered by the CA car insurance online policy.
- Full coverage: liability plus comprehensive and collision.
- Indemnity: a predetermined sum paid for loss.
- Limits: the highest the car insurance online company will pay for losses.
- No fault insurance: car insurance claims dealt with in each person’s own company. No blame involved or required.
- Personal injury protection: covers medical expenses for the at fault driver, including long term and wage loss for serious injuries.
- SR22 form that must be filed for three years or more as proof of insurance after DUI.
- Tort: when you sue someone for damages after a car insurance accident.
- Uninsured motorist coverage: when you get into an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist and they are at fault, then you will need this coverage for your own damages.
