Exhaust mod & insurance

[reichejh]

Had the splendid idea of asking my insurance in advance if they would accept the common exhaust modification which increases the sound quality of our beloved vehicles... they promptly declined, leaving my utterly disappointed… Now, after collecting myself again, I’m thinking about changing insurers.

Hence, I’m looking for names of insurance companies who are happy with the “risk” and don’t increase their premium. Any views?

[Nuggs]

I had extended discussions with Privilege last year, who finally got comfortable with the fact that no increase in bhp=no increase in risk=no increase in premium.

Took them ages to come around to my way of thinking though

I'm now with Mannings who don't seem to have loaded the policy because of the zorst...

[budaholic]

Privilege stung me for an extra £70 for the sports exhaust

bads

[Hoover33]

:scratchhead: never thaught of this as a performance upgrade.... Ohhhhh dear

[Hoover33]

Whilst out at lunch I was thinking about this....

why do the insurance companies want more of our hard earned pennies for "upgrades" when all we are doing is trying to get the to the BHP that the car is insured for

[Nuggs]

Hoover33 said:

why do the insurance companies want more of our hard earned pennies for "upgrades" when all we are doing is trying to get the to the BHP that the car is insured for

I guess that presupposes that insurance companies price the risk purely on the factory-published figures. Maybe they know 'the truth'

[SXS]

I wander... if you use other than factory selected tyre brands or different spec tyres, does this affect insurance too? do you tell them?

[Steve_T]

Sunninghill have been excellent in terms of understanding mods for all the time I've used them. I believe shpub, owner of probably the most non-standard tiv of all time, also uses them. If you have a modified TVR, they're well worth talking to.

Steve.

[zumbruk]

Hoover33 said:

:scratchhead: never thaught of this as a performance upgrade.... Ohhhhh dear

You should tell your insurers about *everything*, not just what you consider a performance upgrade. If they're trying to wriggle out of a £2M damages claim, they'll use any excuse; don't give them one.

[Nuggs]

SXS said:

I wander... if you use other than factory selected tyre brands or different spec tyres, does this affect insurance too? do you tell them?

I told my insurers (both Privilege and Mannings) when I had the boots changed. Both said that these were 'consumables' and did not therefore require notification. However, I guess this policy may vary on a case-by-case basis - if in doubt, I would disclose...

[jonathant]

I got NU to put a note on my file when I replaced my manifolds for decat-stainless. I explained that the factory replacements were *really* hard to source, and the decatting does not (noticably) increase the performance of the car.

They seemed happy enough (especially given the first point).

[grahamw48]

I would speculate that a goodly proportion of 'chav' style vehicles technically aren't actually insured, if ever they were to be put to the test.

I keep a healthy distance from them.

Additionally, how many owners of chipped vehicles have notified their insurance companies ?

A pretty worrying situation really, especially if you're involved in an accident with one of these cars.

[zippee]

grahamw48 said:

I would speculate that a goodly proportion of 'chav' style vehicles technically aren't actually insured, if ever they were to be put to the test. I keep a healthy distance from them. Additionally, how many owners of chipped vehicles have notified their insurance companies ? A pretty worrying situation really, especially if you're involved in an accident with one of these cars.

I believe (though stand to be corrected) that the insurers would still have a 3rd party obligation to pay out. The chavs car however, would likely not be covered.

[Munter]

Hoover33 said:

Whilst out at lunch I was thinking about this.... why do the insurance companies want more of our hard earned pennies for "upgrades" when all we are doing is trying to get the to the BHP that the car is insured for

The extra cash may have nothing to do with the "performance" risk involved with the car. If you stuff your car do you expect them to replace and busted parts with like for like or remove the upgrade part and replace with (normally cheaper) standard part?

[Hoover33]

true???? but sometimes the upgrade is the only replacement availble

[crackedfinger]

Everyone reads too much into insurance policy's. it is all about the market - you. If you are they type who buys cool cars and spends wads on keeping them up to spec or improving them, you will go that extra bit further to insure them so they can charge you for it.

Same goes for the first point about being a guy - you are prepared to pay more for insurance. (you don't have to like to pay!)

For me there is a under lying problem with the insurance industry - for some reason there is a legal need to purchase a service from a unregulated industry which sets its own standards. Make you wonder who had their hand out when those laws were passed.....

[shpub]

Steve_T said:

Sunninghill have been excellent in terms of understanding mods for all the time I've used them. I believe shpub, owner of probably the most non-standard tiv of all time, also uses them. If you have a modified TVR, they're well worth talking to. Steve.

Sunninghill are great. They did change brokers a couple of years ago and I had to submit a modified vehicle report. Came to 12 and a half pages!