modified car insurance?

Sesshoumaru

I was planning on buying a second hand Alfa 147 in the next month or two and I was hoping to spend a few grand extra having it tweaked and tuned a bit.

I was thinking maybe something like this:
http://www.ad.3wows.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_31&products_id=310

and this:
http://www.ad.3wows.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_31&products_id=302

and maybe some new suspension as well. But im concerned what it might do to my insurance premium! I think there are a few car modders here on boards so maybe you might share your experiences with me on how hard it is to insure a car thats had its performance increased?

Locutus

Go on, be in the very small minority, actually tell your insurance company, cry as they laugh and shell out more than the mods cost.

Sesshoumaru

Go on, be in the very small minority, actually tell your insurance company, cry as they laugh and shell out more than the mods cost.

Yes well judging by the lack of responses to my request your probably right about not many people mentioning mods to their insurance companies. But I didn't think it would be a lot extra as long as I stayed away from adding things like super chargers or turbo chargers?

Locutus

Bigger alloys? - increased insurance risk. Bigger stereo? bigger insurance risk. Bodykit? - bigger insurance risk. tinted windows? bigger insurance risk. bigger exhaust? bigger insurance risk. Why? Because it is, that's why.

Unfortunately, this is the reaction as I understand it. And you absolutely must tell them, because if you don't, and you have a bash, and they inspect it and see undeclared mods, they'll be able to avoid cover.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Sesshoumaru
Yes well judging by the lack of responses to my request your probably right about not many people mentioning mods to their insurance companies. But I didn't think it would be a lot extra as long as I stayed away from adding things like super chargers or turbo chargers?

I would tend to disagree with you. (Without having done any mods to my car) I would be inclined to believe that my policy would double at least if I told them that I had chipped the car or some other performance enhancements. However, I would imagine that if you told the drone on the phone that you had installed a freeflow air filter then you may be alright.

If you mention that you have put a turbo charger on your motor then prepare to be laughed at as they bend you over a barrell. Don't even mention the supercharger!!!!

I reckon that if you had a freeflow AF and you had an accident, they wouldn't say much - anyway the power benefits of these are debatable. If you had installed a performance cam, they would be unlikely to spot it. As for sports suspension or uprated brakes, these are noticable mods which may possibly provide safety benefits (improved handling) but I assume that once they hear that you are trying to make the car more sporty then you will automatically drive above the limit and cause loads of accidents.

The easiest way to find out would be to ring the company and see what they say. Then you can decide whether or not to make the changes.

kayos

NOt all mods affect insurance I know hib covered a mate on his car with a full body kit, alloys, some brake work, full suspension change without adding a penny to the premium....

As kbannon says its when you start messing wiht your engine you get screwed, speaking of which its nearly the time of year for me to bend over again...

Sesshoumaru

I would be inclined to believe that my policy would double at least if I told them that I had chipped the car or some other performance enhancements

How likely is it that they could ever tell that the ECU had been reprogrammed? I mean do they pick through the mangled wreckage of your car to find the engine control unit and then plug it in to see what it was running?

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Sesshoumaru
How likely is it that they could ever tell that the ECU had been reprogrammed? I mean do they pick through the mangled wreckage of your car to find the engine control unit and then plug it in to see what it was running?

agreed but then again they could do a quick search of the internet and find a message on a bulletin board where the person is bragging on about how their performance mods gave them 200 extra horses
In reality I doubt they do much checking - the assessor doesn't want to get his/her good Louis Copeland suit all dirty.

kayos

Originally posted by Sesshoumaru
How likely is it that they could ever tell that the ECU had been reprogrammed? I mean do they pick through the mangled wreckage of your car to find the engine control unit and then plug it in to see what it was running?

If it means they get out of paying a huge claim then yes...

Remember unless you go for the likes of Revo or APR's direct port programming there is a physcial chip in the ECU for them to find.

Locutus

Disclose it (whatever it is). Read your policy if you don't believe me. Insurance assessors aren't dopes and if they see a typical modder's aesthetically challenged pos involved in a serious accident, they will look out for performance mods or try and get out based on the fact that stupid wheels and ridiculously lowered suspension or whatever ruined the steering. It is easy to check if an ECU has been remapped. This is more likely to be an issue if you slap it into a wall and try and claim on the comprehensive part of your policy but it can happen with a third party injury claim too.

ondafly

I have all my mods covered on my Policy. Ring them up and see what they say, it might not be that bad.

Blitzkrieger

I've no first hand experience myself, but I've heard that mods like bumpers, wings, alloys and stereo systems are cheap enough to insure (depending on how much they cost of course), but as soon as you start modifying the engine they'll screw you.

If I fit a NOS to my new car I certainly won't declare it. imo if it's switched off, my insurance is unchanged. Of course, they won't see it that way and probably wouldn't pay out.

NeRb666

There was an article about this in the Irish Times motoring supplement the other day. They had a spokesman from Axa who said that in all his years there that only one person had ever declared mods to them. He stated clearly that in the event of a claim, they would not pay out if any mods were undeclared.

I'll find the article tomorrow and post the main parts of it.