New car

[Escort Elliott]

so i bought my escort about 5 days ago off a good friend.....and dont get me wrong...its an amazing car....but i think i might of outdone myself a bit.....my insurane is through the roof.....£4200 on my own policy and thats just 3rd party fire and theft....so as im 17 im going to go on my dads policy....but still im not 100% satisfied....the car cost me £100 as the seller needed space to get an xr3i.....all my car needs is 2 front tyres as they are worn down to nothing...the wheels slip even at 4000rpm when pulling off....and im thinking of modding it to make it faster....any ideas for me to do....without bumping my insurance too much??? thanks

[mightymoose_22]

Modifications to the car shouldn't change your insurance at all. Insurance has a lot more to do with your age and your driving record. The best way to get the rate down is to stay out of accidents, don't get tickets, and get older

[Escort Elliott]

oh.....see i always thought that power would play a role in insurance costs.....because a 1.1i is much cheaper than a 1.8si and i know it is to do with the engine size but dosent engine size always mean higher bhp??? which means more power and higher insurance???

[Davescort97]

The size of the engine, the horsepower and having an automatic or 4 speed transmission will have some affect on insurance here in the States. All 4 cylinder cars here have the same insurance rate regardless of modifications. It's not until you get into 8 cylinders and a 4 speed transmission that the rates start going up. They don't inspect cars here to get insurance. They just go by what you list on the application. The insurance agent may want to see the car so that he'll know it hasn't been wrecked prior to signing. It's probably much more strict in the U.K. Did I read right that you bought the car for 100 and insurance was to be 4200. Is this in pounds? How much is that in dollars? Do you know the conversion rate?

[Escort Elliott]

i think the conversion rate is roughly double...so £100 is equal to about $200 and yes i got the car for £100 and the insurance is £4180.......and thats only 3rd party fire and theft.......