What is classed as a modification insurance wise?

datostar

I just contacted my lot (RSA) because I am contemplating changing my existing filament bulb DRLs to LED strips under a manufacturer's offer. Not just a matter of changing bulbs. Dummy bulbs will be placed in the existing lamps and the new ones mounted below by a main dealer. RSA said they would only be interested in things that increase engine power or affect the car handling and would in fact regard LED DRL's as a safety improvement. When I bought the car it had RFID security tags hidden around it and they were happy with that too.

Gloomendoom

datostar wrote: »

I just contacted my lot (RSA) because I am contemplating changing my existing filament bulb DRLs to LED strips under a manufacturer's offer. Not just a matter of changing bulbs. Dummy bulbs will be placed in the existing lamps and the new ones mounted below by a main dealer. RSA said they would only be interested in things that increase engine power or affect the car handling and would in fact regard LED DRL's as a safety improvement. When I bought the car it had RFID security tags hidden around it and they were happy with that too.

The point is that you told them about it. The only way to be sure that a mod isn't going to affect your insurance cover is to declare everything.

Several of the online insurance comparison sites include stickers on their modification checklists.

malkyh

datostar wrote: »

I just contacted my lot (RSA) because I am contemplating changing my existing filament bulb DRLs to LED strips under a manufacturer's offer. Not just a matter of changing bulbs. Dummy bulbs will be placed in the existing lamps and the new ones mounted below by a main dealer. RSA said they would only be interested in things that increase engine power or affect the car handling and would in fact regard LED DRL's as a safety improvement. When I bought the car it had RFID security tags hidden around it and they were happy with that too.

A safety improvement? Bet they never offered a reduction in your policy amount though!

hareng

scotsbob wrote: »

A member of our car club was refused an insurance payout because he had a car club membership sticker on his windscreen.

Please name and shame that insurance company so we can all avoid, they deserve it.

hareng

malkyh wrote: »

A safety improvement? Bet they never offered a reduction in your policy amount though!

:beer: Law unto themselves.

Will be swapping companies in a couple of months but purely depends on the insurance co.
If you go via a broker and declare mods done, they log it in to the policy. However they need accurate info such as bhp, actual mods etc. Some will as above ok it, others forget it.
I once had a monster turbo in a Cologne V6 no idea of bhp, it was accepted as unlimited. Wheels and after market stuff would be replaced with price of original equipment.
Other cars i have declared stuff on grounds as its safer ie suspension, bushes etc.

Gobsmacked about the sticker post above, next they wont pay out for a dirty car, its a mod! Slightest thing for them not to cough up.

Catherine_Johnson_2

So, all these boy racers with their big bore exhausts are, potentially, uninsured if they have an accident? That's reassuring!

111KAB

Friend just 'phoned a well-known insurance co. for a comparison quote. Question came "has the car been modified in any way" - jokingly friend said "no, other than the air-freshener hanging from the rear view mirror" (he hasn't actually got one but was just bored with the conversation) to which the response came "Is this a factory fitted modification or something you have done yourself?"

hareng

Be very weiry of those comparison sites.
Copped me out last year in several ways.
If you take the quote or ref number and go direct to insurer, its dearer.
Then theres always the add ons, being conservative it worked as dear as the last one.
Then when you dont take up the offers you are bombarded with junk mail.

mikey72

Kit cars are the easiest.I've got one, and any mods I usually tell them it still has the original gearbox. Even engine mods weren't a problem, different carbs were just noted, they were only really interested when I supercharged it, then they wanted to know how many bhp it was.Another classic car they were fine with, so long as any mods were originally fitted to the other variants of the model, and weren't third party.

epninety

mikey72 wrote: »

Kit cars are the easiest.I've got one, and any mods I usually tell them it still has the original gearbox.

I told them 'No two of them were ever built the same, and so is mine' :rotfl: