insurance-modification to car

[brianbrian]

as you know i have put a diesel engine into my SL. Insurance company have put my insurance up from £135 p.a fully com-husband and wife driving, to £300.18 p.a. I was expecting the insurance to be the same or lower as i have put a smaller engine in, but they say it is more money because of the modification.

Car goes in for MOT tomorrow-will let you know how i get on.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

as you know i have put a diesel engine into my SL. Insurance company have put my insurance up from £135 p.a fully com-husband and wife driving, to £300.18 p.a. I was expecting the insurance to be the same or lower as i have put a smaller engine in, but they say it is more money because of the modification.

Car goes in for MOT tomorrow-will let you know how i get on.

Sounds like someone with neither discretion nor experience is giving you a prepared answer off a script Brian. I would make further inquiries and ask to speak to someone who can make decisions based on risk - which is after all the basis of all insurance practice.

Good luck with the MOT!

 

[*Thumper]

as you know i have put a diesel engine into my SL. Insurance company have put my insurance up from £135 p.a fully com-husband and wife driving, to £300.18 p.a. I was expecting the insurance to be the same or lower as i have put a smaller engine in, but they say it is more money because of the modification.

Car goes in for MOT tomorrow-will let you know how i get on.

I know I'm only supposed to be the stand in Tech guru, but I'll help you here, cos you've obviously lost the plot .............

£300.18 for Husband and wife to both drive ................

Don't you think thats a little dangerous ....... your insurance company thinks there's an increased risk....and quite honestly, so do I

To rectify the problem, and so reduce your premium


I strongly urge only one of you take to the wheel at a time !!! ....... there is'nt room for 2 in the drivers seat !!

 

[brianbrian]

Well i have paid it now - so i will leave it for now-will look around next year for a better deal. I did find after i had paid for the insurance another company that was £50 cheaper, but it would cost me £36 to cancel - so i might as well leave it till next year.

Yeh your'e right Thumper- told the wife to get off of my lap when i'm driving:lol:

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

I put a stsainless steel exhaust on my 2 litre 16v Corrado, cost more to insure than a VR6!

 

[whitenemesis]

You didn't need to get an engineer's report on the modification? I think the increase in your pemium was quite modest.

 

[brianbrian]

Just thought how much Petrol I could have with the Increase,

 

[davidsl500]

Just thought how much Petrol I could have with the Increase,

Yes, but think how much fun you had doing it.....

 

[roofless]

insurance & logic don't mix

 

[D1gger5]

Totally agree Roofless:-

As a student I changed from driving a 3 litre to a 2.8i Capri - I had to lose some of my NCB because that insurer would not insure the 2.8 unless over 30. Same insurance group for both but had the word Ghia and Injection which makes the difference.

I'm paying in the region of £300 on my two driving cars (multicar policy) and I had to specify the mods (upgraded interior, stainless exhaust, poly bushes, central locking) on both cars. But then the standard/never fitted question arises which is baffling - electronic ignition.

Yep - pay up this year but go elsewhere next if they have similar small print and another company is cheaper.

Diggers

 

[simon_wall69]

I used to pay £260 p.a. on a 190d (72bhp) and £140 p.a. on a 560sel (300bhp). Both insured for £1500 and 5,000 miles per year and both fully comp.

 

[Xtractorfan]

As Brians car is now a one off, should it need to be repaired then it will involve a lot of head scratching from everyone involved, so logically the insurance premium will be higher, also nothing to compare it with..

 

[hawk20]

As Brians car is now a one off, should it need to be repaired then it will involve a lot of head scratching from everyone involved, so logically the insurance premium will be higher, also nothing to compare it with..

Absolutely right. Non standard cars often/usually cost more to repair if damaged so a higher premium is quite logical. Sad but true.

 

[Micman]

I can remember many years ago when I bought my Ford Probe. It had a nice discreet bootlid spoiler on it which looked very tasteful.

The Probe wasn't available with a rear spoiler, not even as an option from Ford. It was in fact a spoiler from a Mazda MX6 which the Probe is identical too.

As a result, I had to declare it as modified on my insurance which was a bit of a pain as I discovered most insurers say no to any modification. I remember it costing me more to insure as a result.

When I bought the car, the boot wouldn't stay open on it's own and I asked the dealer to replace the gas struts. He got new Ford ones and it still didn't stay open - we then realised it was the extra weight of the spoiler causing this. He had to buy struts for the Mazda MX6 to rectify the problem.

It's always best to leave your car standard in the eyes of insurance - if you do have a mod in mind, I'd always check the implications in advance. Never assume anything as far as insurance companies are concerned.

 

[whitenemesis]

I'm still surprised the OP didn't need an engineer's report on his modification. MB never did a diesel SL so the model doesn't have the correct suspension spring rates, the brakes would be under-rated, increased weight of the diesel unit?

I think the current insurers haven't done their homework..

 

[brianbrian]

Both engines were weighed there was very little difference, the Petrol sl was slightly heavier.