Getting "daily driver" insurance on my classic wagon

So this was something I had no idea would be "a thing" : 25ish years ago I owned a couple daily driver classic cars, and had no memory of this:

Picked up my '68 ford country sedan last weekend: garage link
Got it home, called my insurance company (USAA): "Oh no, we won't insure that". Huh?
Long story short, and I'm guessing many of you know this already: If you actually want to drive your classic car, it's going to be very hard to insure.

I've spent the past 5 days calling places trying to find anyone that would insure it.
The problem is, if you want to insure it as a 'classic car' (which is what everyone wants to do when they hear what your car is), you can, but you can't drive it unless it's to meetups, car-shows, or maybe a once-a-week cruise (and not to the store, and never to work).
They'll also insure it as a 'normal used car', but for the original sale price in 1968 ($3400) minus 50 years of depreciation. Basically nothing.

I searched the forums here, and many online, and no one I called would insurance it for me to actually drive it, and give it a decent value if it was totaled. Finally, I found 3 places that would, and I thought I'd pass this info along:

• American National : This is who I'm insured with now, and was the 2nd company I contacted that would help me out. It's abased on an 'up to' worth if totaled. Meaning, if in an accident (or stolen, and based on photos), when they come to appraise it, they made decide that it's not work the X$ I insure it for before-crash\theft. Or they may decide it's worth more (it was under-insured), and give me the full amount. I eventually will have the car appraised so I can dial this number in better.
• Progressive : I started a claim with them, very helpful/friendly. This is an "agreed value" plan, similar to the 'up to' plan above. This was a 'custom non-chrome' style they had setup.
• Farmers: This was the first company that said they'd help. However, even though the representative I spoke to said they'd insure it, but I didn't feel very confident about it: When I asked her how much they'd cover it for if it was totaled she said "well figure it out when that happens". Er, no. But as a last resort, at least I had something.

None of those had any mileage restrictions.

These are the other places I either contacted directly over the phone, or went online and figured out they wouldn't cover it:

• Geico
• USAA
• Hagerty
• CondonSkelly
• LelandWest
• Met Life
• AAA
• State Farm
• Grundy
• Safeco
• Chubb
• American Collector
• Heacock
• Collector Car Insurace
• JC Taylor
• Classic Collectors

The only others on my list I never got around to contacting are:

• Mapfre
• Sneed

So after sitting in my drive for 5 days, I can finally drive it without having an anxiety attack. Hope this info can be useful for someone in the future.

 

USAA insures my 67 Olds Delta 88 for daily use with no issues. Of course, I have something like six vehicles on that policy.

 

I have been told farmers will insure old cars for an agreed value. A few members of the car club I am with out here have the type of insurance.

 

@joe_padavano : USAA would insure mine, but for basically no value. If your car is totaled, will you get out of it what it's worth? And if so, I'd love to hear how you did it, since USAA, while I love them, were just a whole bunch of 'no' to me.

@riverz : Right: I had called Farmers and they said they'd insure it... I just think my local representative had never done an 'agreed value' plan before (she never mentioned the term, while in hind-sight that's what we were discussing), and had no idea how to articulate any of it. It wasn't reassuring.

 

I insure my 65 replica backdraft cobra through Northeast classic auto insurance which is underwritten by Infinity. I have an agreed value policy and I have 6,000 miles per year at $610, I had 1500 miles per year at the same agreed value for $350 per year. If your wagon is nice then you HAVE to get an agreed value policy or you will be F@CKED if its totaled, you will get a cup full of change lol.

 

@millsy : Just checking: Are there any restrictions on how you use it? Again, many of those companies I listed above do everything you describe, you just can't use it for daily-driving, or it won't be covered. Some even offer say, 7.5k miles a year, but that's only for driving it to car shows, etc.

 

I think it cant be used for driving to work because they dont want it parked in a public parking spot because they know some ahole will damage it. If you stay under the mileage and can park somewhere safe for work then im not sure u have to say it is your daily driver especially if you keep under the mileage restriction. Here is the guys email so u dont have to even call to get info, I dont deal with anyone on the phone or person anymore if I can help it
msmith@classiccarinsurance.com
It cant hurt to ask him some questions, GL

 

Your car is sweet, I know I wouldnt want to drive it to work or to the grocery store unless I could park far away. I know that sucks but why tempt faith, people are very spiteful, they also dont pay attention because of all the technology. Parking in a busy parking lot day after day is gonna get that car some damage IMO and its to nice to let that happen. If you have priority or safe parking at work then let the agent know this, take a pic of the parking space etc so they can see for themselves.

 

I filled out a questionaire on the internet about a local agent. Within minutes I got a local State Farm agent.............. in Nashville. I believe local would be south of Peoria, Illinois!

I had enough trouble and wasted time just getting my late model daily driver insured when we moved back from Florida to Illinois. I had State Farm over 50 years with minor claims for glass.
So I went to State Farm here. Same agent oldest son has. My old agent died. Spent hours getting a basic policy even though they went online and got my State Farm info! I basically drive under 25 miles a month most months. Maybe 500 miles when I was driving for radiation.

All I wanted was that 35 miles or less per day bargain I read about!

I'd answered an internet ad about drivers who drive less than 35 miles per day. All I got were emails from the normal insurance companies for basic insurance for around $1000 per year each company.
In Florida I was paying around $800 and that was high compared to what I paid most of my life in Illinois before. I realize cars and repairs cost more and I was driving new vehicles. Strangely, notice when the new vehicle gets old, insurance never goes down!!!!!

I liked State Farm because in Illinois I put my old cars and RV's on only basic coverage during winter months, whch was cheap. Florida does not have that but I was driving almost year around anyway in old cars. But it was cheaper for multiple vehicles.

I ended up paying the local State Farm here $1000 a year. My daughter, who works for an expensive insurance co hooked me up with her GF who is an agent using multi-companies. I ended up getting West Bend in West Bend, Wisc. I thought West Bend made small kitchen appliances so know nothing about them. Driving no more than 3 miles each way max most times, maybe once every week or so on a new 4-lane bypass, I figure I'm fairly safe.

My year is up so I checked other companies again. Even with these 'special deals' for low mileage drivers everyone is $1000 or more. Likeing State Farm and dealig with them all those years, I decided to go back. Because I canceled in one month their new rate is $2000 a year. I guess they don't want me anymore!
So I'm actually paying a small car insurance company I know nothing about $850 a year plus another $150 for household items which are already covered under home owners insurance. But without the $150 household insurance the car insurance is way over $1000 a year.
I have no idea what I will do about insuring my 1941 Ford with Chevy running gear and 1955 Chevy wagon. I can't afford to drive anymore and really a cab would be cheaper.
We are forced to have car insurance and insurance against under and uninsured motorists....even though it's illegal to drive with no insurance. We're

 

When I worked for a living there were a few years pick up truck license tags had two choices. I picked the cheaper for RV us only. What that really meant I owned a truck with an 8' bed that I couldn't haul anything in or drive to work. Since I worked at a large company cops were checking the parking lots and ticketing trucks. I had to stop driving my new truck to work until I changed back to a regular TRUCK plate which cost more. In Illinois they were a different color than car tags.

Similarly, there were ANTIQUE and SPECIAL INTEREST plates for older vehicles. Those legally could only be used for car events, parades, etc. I ended up buying vanity plates for everything. If ordered with one number, JON DOE 1, those were slightly cheaper than just JON DOE. My Ford Escort was MODEL T 1.
Vanity plates in most states are so expensive now it's not worth the extra. Even year of manufacture plates went way up in Florida. It's all about money!
As for parking, whether a daily beater, custom car, or antique I've always tried to park on an end row or little used spot. Of course, someone seems to always park 3" from my cars.

 

People have waaaay more expensive cars than mine (Tesla's everywhere around where I live) and park them anywhere... I'm no different, I bought this car to enjoy... I can't be stressed out if someone dings it But thanks for the compliment.

 

Yeah, funny how insurance companies charge exactly the same amount, no matter how you try to set your insurance up, which is a market collusion and manipulation, IMHO, and constitutes a monopoly, but the Feds won't do anything about it because the corporations have the Congress on speed-dial. I'm not a conspiracy nutjob, but two things: 1) If it waddles like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it's a duck; and 2) It's coming to my attention that government isn't the big threat to our rights and liberties anymore...it's corporate business.

 

Where I will agree they do as the policy states in the last few years they have gotten really expensive...
I think most normal insurance companies will do agreed value..

 

I guess it's a little different here, with my insurer all I needed to do to get my cars insured as daily drivers was to get them appraised and insured for the appraised value of each car. I do pay full rates for it but I can drive all I want with my cars.