That’s the thing—insurance companies seem to have a sixth sense for undervaluing anything with a carburetor. I keep a folder in my glovebox with receipts, photos, and even a few scribbled notes about repairs. My wife laughs at me, but after seeing what happened to my neighbor’s Mustang, I’m not taking chances. It’s a hassle, but honestly, it beats arguing over what “fair market value” means when your car’s older than your adjuster.
Honestly, I don’t bother with a glovebox folder—just scan everything to Google Drive. Way less clutter, and I can pull up proof on my phone if I ever need it. Paper fades, tech doesn’t (usually). Just my two cents.
I get the appeal of going all-digital, but I’ve had that backfire on me. Last year, we took the old wagon out for a weekend trip—kids, dog, the whole circus. Got pulled over for a busted taillight. I figured, no big deal, I’ve got everything on my phone. Except…no signal in the middle of nowhere and my phone decided to do that thing where it randomly restarts and takes forever to come back up. Officer was not impressed. Ended up with a warning, but he made it clear he wanted to see paper next time.
I’m not saying tech isn’t handy—Google Drive’s saved my bacon more than once when I needed to email something quick. But for the vintage ride, I keep a folder in the glovebox with copies of insurance, registration, and even a couple maintenance receipts. Yeah, it’s old school and maybe a little cluttered, but it’s never failed me when I needed it fast.
Paper does fade, sure, but honestly by the time it’s unreadable I’ve usually updated my insurance anyway. Maybe it’s just habit from growing up with parents who kept every receipt since 1982...but there’s something about having that backup right there in the car that makes me feel better.
Guess it comes down to how much you trust your tech (and your cell service). For me, with kids and chaos and an old car that likes to surprise us, I’d rather have both options than get caught without either.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I keep a cheap plastic envelope in my glovebox with all the paper stuff too—insurance, registration, even a photocopy of my license just in case. Tech’s great until it isn’t, especially out in the boonies. Having both just feels safer, and honestly, it’s not that much extra hassle.
Yeah, I’m with you—paper copies just make sense, especially with older cars. I once had my phone die right before a checkpoint and was so glad I had the hard copies stashed away. Not worth the risk, honestly.
