Regional Need help from UK members!


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Mr. M

Mr. M

Tire Trailblazer
Hi all,

As some you might know, I'll be ending my term of service in the army quite soon. That means, I'll be heading to university next year! Unless my SATs can magically become outstanding, I'll most likely be heading over to King's College at London come September.

Anyway, enough of the bio and more to the point. I intend to own a car in London and I know it's a crazy idea, what with congestion charges, limited parking and the traffic! I was just wondering, if I got a car, how much can I expect to pay for parking? And if I want to park somewhere out of town so I can drive every weekend or holiday, are there any garages that can 'store' my car?

Okay, second question. This one would probably be more interesting. :DI'm looking for a car that I can buy with less than 10,000 quid. Where should I start looking for a good deal? Is there a second hand online car mart or something?

And lastly, if all else fails... I'm pushing my luck a bit here but is anyone here a motorbike rider? I currently have a Class 2B licence in Singapore (which means I can ride bikes which are less than 200cc) and was wondering how it works in the UK. AFAIK there is an advance learning course where I can go straight to a full motorcycle licence if I can fulfill the requirements. Also I read that the UK has three classifications, Moped, Small motorcycles and large motorcycles. Is that correct? Can I 'upgrade' my licence to a full-fledged one straight away?

Anyway, thanks for reading my long post and I owe it to anyone in advance who can give me any sort of advice. I'll really appreciate it... Hope to meet up with you guys next year!

Regards,

James
 
www.autotrader.co.uk is a good start.

Next step is the different auto clubs/forums. There are many of those around in the UK.
 
I'm not really a UK member but I can tell you that you'll need a UK licence after 12 months, that car insurance (especially for anything with more power than a food blender) is hideously expensive and that you're just about correct when it comes to the licence classifications. I'm not sure how they work when exchanging a foreign licence though.

As for the parking question, if I were in your position I'd consider trying to find accommodation further away from the city (but near transport links) with a parking space of some sort. That's not going to come cheap though.

All said, I wouldn't even consider spending anywhere near £10K on a car that I'd only use on weekends - unless looking for something 'interesting' to drive. Half that amount will buy a very decent runabout indeed.

Best of luck in your quest!
 
I would agree with what MikeJ says, but for more specific advice I suggest you ask your questions here:

General Cars - Tyresmoke Forums

This is a very busy and friendly UK-based forum with lots of active members, many of whom are London dwellers.
 
First post in a long time but here goes...

Hi James, how are things going, if you still remember me?

Just some advise, you won't need a car in London, and if you're going into halls at kings, which is in the centre of London there won't be anywhere to put it. The congestion charge is £8 per day, monday to friday 7 till 6 I think. It's really not worth it, I'm in London this year at uni, I'm at Queen Mary though. The tube is the easiest way to get around. I know from driving in London a lot, it's always a problem to park, and is always very expensive. I know no one who has a car here. Also at rush hour traffic is stupid, you'd be better off walking.

Now, the motorbike idea is possible, they are everywhere, you've got to be quite confident though as they go in and out of traffic. I believe you can ride a moped without a licence but they are limited to 30mph. You can unlimit them and get to 50-60mph, but it's against the law, but would be fast enough for london. You will need a licence though to ride a faster bike. Any other questions, just ask...
 
BMW_Dude said:
First post in a long time but here goes...

Hi James, how are things going, if you still remember me?

Just some advise, you won't need a car in London, and if you're going into halls at kings, which is in the centre of London there won't be anywhere to put it. The congestion charge is £8 per day, monday to friday 7 till 6 I think. It's really not worth it, I'm in London this year at uni, I'm at Queen Mary though. The tube is the easiest way to get around. I know from driving in London a lot, it's always a problem to park, and is always very expensive. I know no one who has a car here. Also at rush hour traffic is stupid, you'd be better off walking.

Now, the motorbike idea is possible, they are everywhere, you've got to be quite confident though as they go in and out of traffic. I believe you can ride a moped without a licence but they are limited to 30mph. You can unlimit them and get to 50-60mph, but it's against the law, but would be fast enough for london. You will need a licence though to ride a faster bike. Any other questions, just ask...
Click to expand...

Hey!

Of course I remember you my old friend. I was actually hoping that you would respond to this thread, and you did!

Looks like it's quite certain that I wouldn't be owning a car if I am in the UK. Which is a shame really because cars there are about half the price of cars in Singapore! Now you know why I want to own a car in the UK... But I think costs in London is really prohibitive.

I like motorbikes as much as I like cars now so at least I am in a win-win situation, because like cars, motorbikes are a heck a lot cheaper in the UK too! I'm thinking of converting my current bike licence to the UK one, so I can buy a proper bike there. Am hoping to start with a Triumph Speed Triple!

[image no longer available]images/sce/2008_Triumph%20Speed_Triple_Desktop.jpg

Okay it's a bit wrong to post about a bike in a car forum but... Ah well. ;)

What are you studying at Queen Mary?
 
Bikes are good for london, untill it gets cold and black ice catches you out!

Not to mention the rain almost everyday of the week...

:t-cheers:
 
VroomVroom said:
Bikes are good for london, untill it gets cold and black ice catches you out!

Not to mention the rain almost everyday of the week...

:t-cheers:
Click to expand...

There are minuses for everything... :)

I was just dreaming of owning a Ford Sportka in the UK! :cool:
 
Mr. M said:
Looks like it's quite certain that I wouldn't be owning a car if I am in the UK. Which is a shame really because cars there are about half the price of cars in Singapore! Now you know why I want to own a car in the UK... But I think costs in London is really prohibitive.

I like motorbikes as much as I like cars now so at least I am in a win-win situation, because like cars, motorbikes are a heck a lot cheaper in the UK too! I'm thinking of converting my current bike licence to the UK one, so I can buy a proper bike there. Am hoping to start with a Triumph Speed Triple!

Okay it's a bit wrong to post about a bike in a car forum but... Ah well. ;)

What are you studying at Queen Mary?
Click to expand...

I know knowing about bikes, and at the moment know little about cars. Where are you intending on going on your bike, because if you're going somewhere with friends, they can't all get on your bike as well. I'm thinking of taking my push bike to London when I go back in the new year, just hope it stays in one piece though.

I'm studying Business Management at Queen Mary, some of it's really interesting. What are you intending on studying at Kings?
 
wltsm said:
I know knowing about bikes, and at the moment know little about cars. Where are you intending on going on your bike, because if you're going somewhere with friends, they can't all get on your bike as well. I'm thinking of taking my push bike to London when I go back in the new year, just hope it stays in one piece though.

I'm studying Business Management at Queen Mary, some of it's really interesting. What are you intending on studying at Kings?
Click to expand...

Well, I hope to have friends who ride as well. Probably ride the best B roads in the UK first, then eventually venture to the rest of Europe?

Studying the same - Business Management at King's!
 
Hey guys!

Sorry for bringing this old thread again but here I am, a plea from a car lover to the UK car community in the GCF.

I am desperately looking for a insurer who's willing to insure me for a car. At first, I was looking at a newer car, but as someone who just loves cars so much, I am willing to look into any car which is insurable for my age. I am turning 21 in about two weeks and I can convert to a full UK licence if needed. However, I prefer not to as it involves sending my current Singapore licence back home, which might have consequences which I'm not aware of.

I have looked high and low for a insurance quote and they usually are very ridiculous (16k quid/year for a 10k quid car). Can anyone recommend an insurer please? I am intending to insure a simple, cheap car, like a MkI GTI: 1989 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.8 GTI 5DR 8V

Or any other car that's insurable, as mentioned above.

I find insurers I have called so far extremely unfriendly and they offer no alternative for me at all, always leading me to a dead end. It is indeed very frustrating. Especially since I already have a parking lot which I have taken a lot of effort to find (especially in Central London!) and I have already managed to discuss it with my dad, with his approval.

I would appreciate any help. Hope to hear from someone soon!

By the way, if anyone here staying in London wants to meet up for a drink, please PM me!

Cheers,

James
 
Hi,

Try Confused.com Cheap Car Insurance and Home Insurance Quotes Comparison. Its a comparison website and I have used it a few times to get car insurance in the past. There are other comparison websites aswell so just type car insurance comparison in google and you can try a few out. Also, im not sure but maybe trying to get insured on a gti (even though its old) is the reason why you are getting expensive qoutes? Have you bought your car or are you still looking?
 
Insurance companies in the UK for under 25 are all, and please excuse my language, utter $%$£ing rubbish.

Get something with a small engine but cheerful. Get into the DUB scene :cool:Something like a Lupo/Arosa 1.4tdi, cheap to run and insure.
 
Vivaki said:
Hi,

Try Confused.com Cheap Car Insurance and Home Insurance Quotes Comparison. Its a comparison website and I have used it a few times to get car insurance in the past. There are other comparison websites aswell so just type car insurance comparison in google and you can try a few out. Also, im not sure but maybe trying to get insured on a gti (even though its old) is the reason why you are getting expensive qoutes? Have you bought your car or are you still looking?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I actually did go to Confused.com and that's where I got pretty crazy quotes. Anyway, I just sent my Singapore licence to DVLA today so I hope I can get converted to a British licence, maybe that might help things.

Perhaps. At this stage I am willing to drive almost any car. I am still looking, no car bought yet.

VroomVroom said:
Insurance companies in the UK for under 25 are all, and please excuse my language, utter $%$£ing rubbish.

Get something with a small engine but cheerful. Get into the DUB scene :cool:Something like a Lupo/Arosa 1.4tdi, cheap to run and insure.
Click to expand...

Yeah perhaps those are good, I'll take a look!
 
How long are you planning to stay in the UK? Maybe something like a 2/3 year lease on something like a clio might be a good idea? (If money isnt an issue)
This way you wont have the hassle of having a car that can go wrong at any time.
 

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