Modified car insurance

[Oscar 473]

Hello

It's interesting to hear about how people have modified their cars with different engine maps etc. Do you use standard insurance companies or do modified cars usually have to be insured by specialist insurance companies?

Thanks

 

[brucemillar]

This tends be down to the individual Insurance Company and the honesty of the "insured"

Adrian Flux can be very good/helpful.

 

[BTB 500]

Some of the mainstream companies are OK with modified cars and others won't touch them. Try putting your details into a comparison website like Comparethemarket (which allows you to enter most common mods) and see what comes back.

 

[PobodY]

You can't use the price comparison sites; they all say things like "assuming a standard UK road car", and if you do call about a quote they will change it almost immediately.

I use Adrian Flux for the Nissan, but that's now on a classic car policy rather than modified.

 

[Peter DLM]

CCI/Footman James/Towergate (all same company) were the best for my highly modified M3.

 

[John]

You can't use the price comparison sites; they all say things like "assuming a standard UK road car", and if you do call about a quote they will change it almost immediately.

Not the case.

I've used Compare the Market previously and there is the ability to add in what modifications you have done and go on to buy an appropriate policy.

 

[BTB 500]

I've got Compare the Market open right now and under the question "Has your car been modified in any way?" there are separate tabs for:

• Spoilers/Bodykits
• Body Modifications
• Paintwork/Stickers
• Suspension/Steering
• Wheels/Tyres
• Engine/Transmission
• Brakes
• Accessories

Taking the 'Engine/Transmission' tab as an example the options there include:

• Blue Printed
• Bored Out Engine
• Chipped/Engine Management System
• Exhaust System Changes
• Miscellaneous Engine Alterations
• Non-Standard Engine
• Standard Engine Replacement
• Supercharging
• Transmission Changes (Man/Auto)
• Turbocharging
• After-Market Exhaust System Approved For Road Use
• Gearing Change
• Lpg Conversion
• Nitrous Oxide Kit Fitted
• Air Filter
• Other

 

[whitenemesis]

Interesting that Direct Line consider any option (dealer or factory) fitted to the base spec car is a modification and should be declared. That said all the 'upgrades' I had retro-fitted to my S203 didn't change my premiums. When I had coil-overs fitted they increased the premium by approx 20%

When I changed from my 170bhp S203 to the 464bhp CLS55 the annual premium dropped by 50%, both cars the same age. Now with my brand new Lexus the premium has dropped again ...

 

[400ixl]

I always declare the factory fit options as well as any other modifications. Never had the factory fit options increase the premium and some have said they don't need to know them, other say they did need to know. Whichever way I am at least covered for them when it matters.

Have often found that insuring a modified car through a specialist can be cheaper than a standard car with a non specialist. not always the case, but quite often.

 

[PobodY]

Not the case.

I've used Compare the Market previously and there is the ability to add in what modifications you have done and go on to buy an appropriate policy.

I stand corrected! I'll admit that I haven't tried in a while, but the last time I tried it got to the end and said "we can't offer you insurance, please call".

Maybe it's the combination of imported and modified in my case.

Either way, Adrian Flux were helpful when I talked to them; and some modifications brought the premium back down. - From memory; upgraded brakes makes the car safer so offsets the power increase.

 

[AMGeed]

There is a chap from Lancashire on this forum with a highly modified grey E63 (think 800 + bhp) that got a great deal at A-Plan brokers.
I believe as he has now got a few more ponies, the company won't insure the car any longer and he got it elsewhere. But....A-Plan are worth an inquiry.

 

[Dave.tam]

I just ran my car throigh compare the market to see how much more I'd have to pay if I got a remap. The quote with the remap was £400 more than if the car was standard! £400?!

 

[Druk]

Depending on what you did to the car you would possibly have to go to a specialist broker to circumvent the 'tick-box' mentality of the big companies.

I'm with L&V and told them of the gear lever repositioning work I did to the 212.
No way would they accept that it was a simple electric switch that had been moved so the car is now classified as having gearbox modifications.

I have multiple policies with them so it still worked out cheaper but the frustration of dealing with an automaton on the phone is the worst bit.

The opposite to that is the 107 which has hardly a single original component left yet most classic car brokers were quite happy to quote as long as all the mods were listed.




.

 

[SamW]

I've been with greenlight since my boy racer Ford days and they've always been helpful and their agents seem to know there stuff so you can have a sensible conversation about what the cars got or how it's been modified.

 

[Dave.tam]

I just gave Adrian flux a call....£1100!!

Why would I pay twice what I pay at the moment for a small increase in engine performance?! Lol

Thought these modified insurance specialists would be cheap, not twice what I'm paying atm

 

[Peter DLM]

I was able to add 150hp and 200ft/lbs to my E63 for no increase with Daimler Insurance who use Aviva as the underwriter.

 

[Dave.tam]

I might give aviva a try, along with a few of the other mentioned on here

 

[John]

When I modified my E55 3 years ago - it made no difference for me with Kleemann headers, remap, pulley, bespoke exhaust with X pipe and over 25% increase in power.