Hi all,

 

I will start by apologising if I have placed this post in the wrong section, or if there's a better section to place it in.

 

I will be starting my University degree in September and will have access to a great deal of equipment that i could put into good use by way of Auto Tests, Reviews, Video Shoots etc. etc.

 

The issue that I have in the forefront of my mind is how I can get doing car reviews off my own back (I have a couple of Blog pages set up in preparation, Youtube channel to come next) and the other issue being insurance for driving the cars I want to test!

 

I am looking at reviewing new cars, privately owned cars, modified/project cars or anything else someone will let me behind the wheel of. What kind of insurance would cover this (especially at the young age of 19 that I currently am). 

 

Any help/guidance/advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

Jack M

No help to you on the Insurance front, sorry.

Are you able with 2-3 years driving experience in a position to get Insured to drive Any Car,

'not for Hire or Reward' ?

 

If you are able to Hire Cars and get the insurance as a Hired Car you can do Road Tests to your hearts delight,

Or do you want people to just lend you cars?

Will any Dealers give Extended Loans of Demonstrators at your age, have you asked any?

 

But,

in the mean time,

How about doing some reviews on cars you have driven already and posting in the Autotest Section of Briskoda.

ie  Here.

First a review and video of your own car,

 

Someone might spot your talent.

What about Family & Friends vehicles and reviewing them, as a Driver or as a Passenger,

Do those reviews, and see where you get from there.

Post them here.

 

george

Blog is always a good idea and a youtube channel if you have the camera gear (though there are a lot of wannabe Clarksons on Youtube, most of whom are rubbish). Don't like the guy but he is correct in saying you have to be able to write decent English and be able to hold people's attention. I would have liked to have become a motoring journalist but gave up in the end as was impossible to find an entry. I post the odd piece here purely to share my thoughts on cars that I have driven and am also in the process of starting a blog. You could also try to send some articles on spec to some mags or local newspapers?

Get on with your local rag. Send them some copy of what you've written. Post links to stuff you've done on line. See if you can get signed up to Headlineauto or Newspress. You might get lucky like I did....

Local press normally have their own bloke who has been doing it for years so found that a no no. I did have two articles published by Diesel Car (at £50 a pop cars sent to me) but that was only because one of their freelancers was ill. Like everything nowadays it's hard to break in and even harder to make a living from. I would test drive cars you like and just keep a blog for fun. Also reviews here get read a lot (my GT86 review has over 2000 hits though the car was a novelty when I wrote that) though things have got quiet here of late.

Put up a little taster for us to read of a car you have driven and like OR your own machine!

Like Matt said, they might have had one doing it for years, or, like mine, nobody and it was a new feature - until the Mirror group took over and now it's an anybody from nowhere doing something that's not relevant to the area. At least when I reviewed a 4x4 I could quote local context whereas this new chap from MGN hasn't the foggiest what it's like in my back yard - especially when it's snowed.

Thanks for all the comments so far, I have literally just started doing this and have not had much time with my job and apprenticeship ready for university but im hoping i will be able to tie a lot of it into my university work come september.

 

Again thanks for all the comments and ideas its all food for thought and puts me in a lot better position than i was before.

Well good luck. A blog would be a good starting point as it is something you can direct people towards although it is difficult to get hits. I often feel that I am talking to myself but at least it is stuff "out there".