Easiest way to own 2 cars

[Alfa_Daryl]

Seeing as there are many on here with more than one car. What's the easiest way to do it? Ideally I would like a weekend car. Do insurance companies over here do any deals on multi car insurance? Tax wise, 3 months register I assume and leave it off the road every now and then..

Any great ideas?

Also, the gf is studying in the UK, anyone well up the facts about how tough to bring it in under her name. Note, she is studying and not working. Spends 10/12 months over there for total of 3 years (1 gone).

Cheers!

[Red156Ti]

she needs to have the car registered in her name for 6 months minimum. then when she comes back to ROI it's VRT exempt.

if the 2nd car is a classic then its easier to sort tax & Insurance than 2 'younger' cars. Classic Insurance can be got for cars 20 y.o. upwards [ perhaps some at 15 ] but classic tax is 30 y.o.

[Fluffyduff]

Owning two (or more) cars is the easy bit. Running them is a killer

No easy outs on the insurance front, unless as pat noted, you go for a classic. If I was doing it again, I'd pick something with classic insurance, tax and was NCT exempt. Cheaps as chips if you can manage that. If youre looking for something modern, Im afraid you'll have to dig deep.

Nothing useful to add about the UK thing.

[Cathal_H]

I've have a policy with Aviva... in the past I transferred insurance temporally via web from car to car.... the only two problems I've had with that were the 'main' car is sitting at home uninsured... and secondly you don't have an insurance disc for the temp car... if you get stopped by a checkpoint there is a bit of talking to do and you'll probably need to bring proof to a Garda station at a later date etc etc.. which is a pain in the a$$...

Regards to tax, a form RF100 [http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovern...oad,489,en.pdf ]stamped at your Garda station can help you re-tax a car after a period of time off the road without having to pay the arrears.

I gave up trying to run two cars on the one policy.. it was a pain...

If I was to put a weekend car for the summer on the road again.. I'd probably take out a new policy at the start of the summer and pay monthly via direct debit. Then when it's time to put the car back in the garage for the winter ring up and cancel the policy.. return the disc and cert and kill off the direct debit.. job done.... that would be my idea anyway. but I don't know the story with NCB on the new policy etc.. hmmmm.... could work out expensive....


I've a friend in the US that has one policy to cover his car, his wife's car, his bike and his V8-belcher classic. That's 4 vehicles on the one policy. I've not idea how that works, but he says it's the job.. only 2 vehicles can be driven at a time by the names nominated on the policy... meanwhile the unused vehicles at home are insured for theft. I must ask him about this again on how it works.. Why can't we have something like that here? Why?

[Red156Ti]

You can opt for Fleet insurance, where you all list the cars you own & then pay a price for the lot.

Running two cars can actually depend upon what the 2 cars are.

I've got an Alfa Giulietta as a company car and use that as a daily hack and I've had a second car for many years and keep my NCB on that car. This is no different that really just having one car.

This weekend I added a second private car to my garage, a Caterham 7 Superlight and because it is clearly a "second" car and not used for work and is garaged I have a special insurance policy through a specialist broker. I don't need nor can I accrue NCB to insure this car which for me costs £160 per year for 5k miles. There is then the road-tax to pay.

If I was to have a non-specialist car, say my Alfa was a private car then it is down to discussing with the insurance company to see if they will mirror your NCB.

[Fluffyduff]

AXA mirrored my NCB on the sud. I think my mileage is limited to 5k, but they never asked what mileage was on it when I took out the policy!

Between us, myself and the wife have 4 legal vehicles. Ive a golf from the office, the leon is hers and Ive the 2 alfas. Its rare that I can afford to tax all 3 of mine at once and its a killer when NCT time rolls around. They are all due within 2 months of each other.

What type of weekend car are you considering?

[Alfa_Daryl]

Something modern unfortunately (10 years ish). A spider would be nice as a novelty at least. I wouldnt mind the other car not being insured really as I could have it safely stored away in the garage. I suppose a call to my insurers would answer most questions but they will most likely come out saying seperate policy required at all times.

[Fluffyduff]

Im afraid a seperate policy requirement is my experience, regardless of the insurer. Its the reason the Leon now belongs to the missus.

You could have her but the car and name you as a named driver to try save money.

[David P]

.

Well red156ti, black beauty, sears, service engineer etc etc, i am truely enjoying your encyclopaedic knowledge of the finer details of the motor trade which i am sure you have learnt over many a fine pint of porter. The advice being given on this thread is most liable to cost daryl dearly as his better half is not entitled to an exemption as he has clearly she is studying and if he did land up and declare his new toy he would most likely be asked for a minimum of 720 euro. I do not know daryls personal financial position but i am sure it is not a cost he would like to "absorb". I would like to say i have no issue with anyone giving advice but when it repeatidly affects people financially i feel i must perform what i feel is a civic duty as this is not the first thread where advice could cost what i feel is significant monies.....

[Red156Ti]

please do us all a favouir & go back to playing with ould Tractor's?

For the best advise, call your local VRT office, neither Dave nor I are fully qualified to issue such advise.

[mo4]

I do it the same way as FluffyDuff, which is the best overall solution imo.

Have both cars in your own name and take out a seperate policy on both. Ring around, there are insurers that can mirror your NCB. Yes, you do have to pay two policies but get the NCB on both.
The down side is that you never build up a second NCB while being mirrored.

There are also trader and classic insurance options but imo with two cars it'll always be cheaper and simpler to take out two policies.

this could be a handy thread, I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to the regs over here!

Originally Posted by Red156Ti

please do us all a favouir & go back to playing with ould Tractor's?

For the best advise, call your local VRT office, neither Dave nor I are fully qualified to issue such advise.

Yet another inaccurate post. Because I think you'll find that one of us is indeed fully trained in the VRT procedures and operations in an official capacity.

[Red156Ti]

Originally Posted by propellorhead

this could be a handy thread, I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to the regs over here!

You'll not learn much from Dave on a public forum.

Night lads.

Originally Posted by propellorhead

this could be a handy thread, I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to the regs over here!

Yes it does have the potential to be a very informative thread if misinformation and out and out ramblings are kept to a minimum as i will strive to assist as i am involved in VRT issues on a daily basis. I hope that this thread gets back online so that people can get their questions answered as we can all go to the local to hear drunken ramblings of a high stool "professional"

[Red156Ti]

Dave I'd ask you to be care what you are saying, I rarely if ever sit the 'high stool' & when I do i'm never drunk on it......... so retract that last comment................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

people tend to judge others by their own standards................

Originally Posted by propellorhead

Night lads.

Sleep tight

[Dermo]

Please note that in this case the VRT/registration business falls on the customs/revenue not on any NCT centre or whatever may be said here .The initail stage is done by the NCT but any problems with regard to the amount of Vrt raised in respect of a vehicle is , and remains with revenue . Any car that is not in the mainstream or is particular to say the UK market ( which is where most of our imports come from) has to be dealt with by REVENUE . In the end any difficulty is decided by the Revenue Commisioners as the NCT centre is only an Agent and not the decision maker in this case . Typical example is a car such as an ST mondeo which is not on the vrt calculator site and has to be dealt with by revenue prior to the NCT . Please note that Revenue have ways of checking and can and will confirm details lodged by an applicant . In other words they have the authority to check with any other agency/dept/gardai etc to confirm applicants details . Please also note that if the info is not correct the car can be seized without too much bother at all .

[GTV Gav]

Originally Posted by theredx19

Yes it does have the potential to be a very informative thread if misinformation and out and out ramblings are kept to a minimum as i will strive to assist as i am involved in VRT issues on a daily basis. I hope that this thread gets back online so that people can get their questions answered as we can all go to the local to hear drunken ramblings of a high stool "professional"

Originally Posted by Red156Ti

Dave I'd ask you to be care what you are saying, I rarely if ever sit the 'high stool' & when I do i'm never drunk on it......... so retract that last comment................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

people tend to judge others by their own standards................

Lads, this is getting tiresome so please leave any previous issues you have had with each other at the door and please keep this on topic for the original poster

Your petty mudslinging is not helpful to anyone.

[Red156Ti]

as already stated buying 2 cars is the easy bit, its taxing & insuring for the majority of people will require a 2nd tax bill & Ins policy.

For reduced tax consider a '08 onwards or classic

For reduced insuance consider a older than 20 y.o. car which won't have classic tax until its 30 y.o.

As for UK import at LEAST get a proper inspection performed by a Garage not a road side chancer.

As for clearing it, Contact the VRT/Revenue

http://nct.ie/vrt.html#1
- Phone lo-call: 1890 927 787

[Cathal_H]

20 year old car can have classic insurance? 48 more months so to wait for my old car.

Classic insurance is probably has a number of limitations attached to it? Like performance figure, annual mileage, etc?

[Franko]

I think all advise on the topic is welcome to be honest.......personally i wouldnt like to post and then be savaged the way pat was i have motor trade myself and it works well......

VRT is a pain but on older cars 720 or i think 640 on my 155 isnt too bad