"Had a buddy lend his '68 Mustang out once—came back with a nice new "custom" scrape along the fender."
That's exactly why I'm hesitant about lending my car out, especially when it comes to classics or anything that's a bit rare. Glad your friend's insurance covered it, but still... sounds like a stressful experience.
It makes me wonder though—does anyone know if permissive use coverage typically extends to classic car policies? I mean, regular auto policies usually have some flexibility built-in, but classic car insurance tends to be more specialized and restrictive. I remember reading somewhere that many classic insurers limit mileage and even specify who exactly is allowed behind the wheel. Might be worth double-checking the fine print before handing over the keys, right?
Curious if anyone has experienced or heard of situations where permissive use wasn't covered due to policy specifics with classics. Seems like an area where assumptions could lead to expensive surprises...
You're right to be cautious—classic car policies can be pretty particular about permissive use. Most classic insurers I've worked with do allow occasional permissive use, but it's usually limited and comes with some strict conditions. For instance, they might require the driver to be over a certain age (often 25+) and have a clean driving record. Mileage restrictions are common too, so lending your car out regularly could potentially cause issues if you exceed those limits.
I had a client once who lent his vintage Corvette to his nephew for a weekend... nephew ended up rear-ending someone at a stoplight. Thankfully, coverage kicked in because the nephew met all the insurer's criteria, but it was definitely nerve-wracking until we confirmed everything was good.
Bottom line, always worth a quick call to your agent or insurer beforehand—better safe than sorry.
"Mileage restrictions are common too, so lending your car out regularly could potentially cause issues if you exceed those limits."
Yeah, this is exactly why I don't lend mine out anymore. Had a buddy borrow my Mustang once—just for the afternoon—and he ended up putting like 150 miles on it. Not only was I annoyed (he said he was running "a couple errands"), but it pushed me dangerously close to hitting my yearly mileage cap. Lesson learned... better to come off as stingy than deal with insurance headaches later.
better to come off as stingy than deal with insurance headaches later.
Yeah, mileage caps can sneak up on you quick. Curious though—did your insurance company actually check your mileage closely, or was it more of an honor system thing? I've heard mixed experiences about how strictly insurers enforce those limits...
"Curious though—did your insurance company actually check your mileage closely, or was it more of an honor system thing?"
From what I've seen, insurers usually don't scrutinize mileage unless there's a claim or renewal coming up. Had a client once who swore he barely drove his weekend car, but after an accident, the adjuster actually checked the odometer and noticed the miles didn't match up with his policy. It wasn't a huge mess, but definitely caused some awkward back-and-forth. Better safe than sorry, I guess...
