Ekona

Trust me, it's in there PMX: Yes, declare it all.

No, that would be an argument you'd need to have with the insurers to make sure you get market value. If it's miles out, then you can bet the GAP co will be doing the same and then that could really drag out. If the value of the loan is always less than the value of the car, and almost without exception if it started off like that then it always will be, then you do not need GAP insurance.

@Grundy: They do, yes. However, they're done in such a way that you're pretty much always in negative equity for a good year or more, unless you get lucky with the car you buy.

Can't help on the car I'm afraid, but your friend needs to declare the intake to his insurance company ASAP... Also, lols at the random potato

This is very true

Yeah, that's not quite right. If you think about it, the loan is secured on the car so if the car no longer exists, then the finance co have no asset to claim in event of you not paying. My own documentation corroborates that, and you also have to inform them before selling the vehicle for the same reason. In practice no-one does the latter (I didn't), as you pay the finance off with the proceeds of the car. I can only imagine the headache you'd get trying to get them to give permission for you to sell the car...!

He may not know any different, to be fair to him.

Two things: 1. You probably have damaged your engine. It may or may not be terminal, but it's almost certain that there is some damage caused by running that low on oil. 2. Stop using Magnatec. It's p*ss thin crap that I wouldn't use in a lawnmower, much less a car.

Not at all. I'll use my own recent example of the 911. 2 year old car, cash price £62K, total finance cost £75K, monthly payment £1K (or something like that). I drive it for 6mths then crash it and write it off. Insurance company pay out market value, let's say it's £58K, and since I've only paid 6mths that £6K I've knocked off the finance deal, leaving me with £69K I owe the finance company. I've only got a cheque from the insurance co for £58K, so I now need to find £11K out of my own pocket to pay them off. Or essentially what Sargara said. You can't carry on paying for an asset that no longer exists: In your friend's case he took out a personal loan, but most people do not.

To cover negative equity. Motor insurance doesn't cover that.

It's probably illegal too unless it's in his contract, which is highly unlikely. I'd be tempted to mention that to him, he doesn't deserve to get shafted like this.

It's needed on any car where you cannot afford to repay the loan amount, or do not wish to repay the loan amount, in case of a total loss. If you can afford to pay the extra if a total loss then don't worry about it. If you can't, then it's pretty much a must-have. There are three types of GAP though, so it depends on what you want to cover (VRI, RTI or finance top up). Personally, if you need a loan to pay for a car then IMHO you need GAP insurance. I've always had it.

I haggled our agent down fairly easily. She worked on a fixed rate rather than percentage though, so maybe a bit easier to do? Either way, it worked out at about 30% off, so don't take their first offer. But yeah, it was a lot pricier than I thought it might be.

One of our friends had this recently, she had an offer accepted on a property and when they found out she hadn't yet sold they cancelled her previously perfectly acceptable offer.

I would imagine that I can count the number of people on here who have ever timed their car to any figure in a straight line on one hand. I mean, I guess the drag strip boys will have their 1/4 mile times and terminal speed, but again that's not really going to count for much. Why don't you start the ball rolling, and post yours up?

Assuming 987, money no object but no R, I'd have a gen2 3.4 manual with PCM3, heated adaptive seats, climate control, standard wheels and PASM. Oh, and PSE! On the budget end, a 2.7 manual with no PCM, sport seats, climate, standard wheels and no PASM (but enough cash to fit new Bilsteins) would be a cracking little car. Maybe get the 3.4 if you really must have the extra oomph, but the standard car is lovely and less prone to bore scoring. Bigger wheels and no PASM is a no-no as the ride is too firm, and tbh the gen1 PASM isn't that great anyway. You'd definitely want a different exhaust on it too, but the PSE is too expensive for an early car.

Will make no difference in reality, I've tried both and couldn't tell any difference at all. Get the cheaper ones

I don't get how anyone can prefer the interior of a 350 to a 987. Better switchgear, better layout, better leather, better plastics... I don't get that at all. The optional pcm2.1 is terrible, but then so is the Bose in the Zed so I'd call that a draw. Standard seats are more functional than the sofa style ones in the Nissan, so I'll give that one to the Zed as I preferred them! Sports seats or better in the Cayman trump both though. Each to their own. I still like the interior of the 996!

Something doesn't ring true here, I can't believe any company would try this.

The Cayman is still better, in terms of the drive. The interior of the Cayman isn't that much better over the 370 than the 350, but that's about it. I guess it depends how you view the 350 to 370, I guess. The 370 looks a bit more muscular than the Cayman, I think.

*you're

Perhaps they saw your casual abuse of font size, and decided that you'd be happy with any old thing?

Do it nice or do it twice

And? Are you telling me that you actually think it's acceptable for a 19 year old to take his daddy with him when the mean ol' man at Kwik Fit makes a boo-boo of his wheels?

He was bloody good in The Wedding Singer, I'll give him that.