Custom car on classic car insurance

fwor

For the last couple of years I've insured a replica vehicle Agreed Value (backed by a written valuation from an approved owners club) under a specialist classic car policy.

On the face of it that doesn't seem a problem - the base vehicle is a mid-80s Jaguar XJ12, which is considered by the company involved to fit their criteria.

The thing that worries me is that it is very heavily modified (e.g. completely replaced chassis/body, bored out engine, replaced gearbox, different wheels/tyres). I tell them this when I renew and have provided exterior and engine bay photos but other than that they are unconcerned - they simply say that they don't need any more information about it.

Should I be worried that - despite what they ~say~, they will instantly void the policy in the event of a claim, because of one of many mods that I didn't tell them about (because they said they didn't want to know)?

wealdroam

I would be inclined to send them a letter detailing all the modifications to the vehicle.

Whether they want to know or not, in the event of a claim you will be able to say that you have told them about all the modifications.
They will then have no excuse.

mikey72

I have a similar pedigree vechicle, it's a classic car, modified into a kit car, which as I have had the kit car nearly 30 years, is also a classic in it's own right. They don't care about mods, apart from ones that increase performance, (only the gearbox is standard, and the back axles) It has to be insured as a kit car though, not as agreed value. I'd cover myself if I was you, and send them all photographs, some of the build if you have them, and a covering letter.

fwor

wealdroam wrote: »

I would be inclined to send them a letter detailing all the modifications to the vehicle.

That was my initial inclination too, until I started to write the letter!

It's going to be long, long tome, and I fear that they will just think that having to validate it (or do ~something~ with it) is too much effort, and they will just refuse (or perhaps revise the premium to deter me from taking it up)...

fwor

mikey72 wrote: »

I have a similar pedigree vechicle, it's a classic car, modified into a kit car, which as I have had the kit car nearly 30 years, is also a classic in it's own right. They don't care about mods, (only the gearbox is standard, and the back axles) It has to be insured as a kit car though, not as agreed value. I'd cover muself if I was you, and send them all photographs, some of the build if you have them, and a covering letter.

Guess I'm in a similar position - owned it nearly as long (23+ years) and never had a problem, but then I've not crashed it yet.

Thanks chaps, I know what I need to do...

raskazz

As mikey says, if it is a genuine replica then insure it under a kit car policy - 99% of all kit cars are bespoke/modified so no worries at all there. A proper kit car broker/insurer won't even bat an eyelid at those modifications compared to some of the stuff they will see!

Notmyrealname

fwor wrote: »

For the last couple of years I've insured a replica vehicle Agreed Value (backed by a written valuation from an approved owners club) under a specialist classic car policy.

On the face of it that doesn't seem a problem - the base vehicle is a mid-80s Jaguar XJ12, which is considered by the company involved to fit their criteria.

The thing that worries me is that it is very heavily modified (e.g. completely replaced chassis/body, bored out engine, replaced gearbox, different wheels/tyres). I tell them this when I renew and have provided exterior and engine bay photos but other than that they are unconcerned - they simply say that they don't need any more information about it.

Should I be worried that - despite what they ~say~, they will instantly void the policy in the event of a claim, because of one of many mods that I didn't tell them about (because they said they didn't want to know)?

When I was insured through Chris Knott, they didn't want to know other than the agreed valuation. When I was insured through Adrian Flux they wanted details of every modification. It actually didn't cost me much more to insure a former drag racing Capri than it did a standard 2L one.