Forewarned is forearmed!
Discussion
Following recent mentions of insurance companies being less willing to accomodate us tivvers, I thought I'd post my recent encounter.
My chimaera started misfiring a couple of weeks ago and I decided to not risk the long cycle of trying to find fixes - straight to Mark Adams instead. Hopefully booked in for a session at Power Engineering on Tuesday to fix the misfire and have the Tornado chip fitted and mapped.
Of course this meant a call to the insurers. I got a quote from Sunninghill when I last renewed and having heard they were more likely to understand the upgrade, thought I'd check back for a quote (also as I wanted to get track/euro cover).
At renewal time in April, they quoted £1800. With the chip they're now quoting *ahem* £2900!
Thankfully Direct Line, who I'm currently with, came back with an increase of £200 making the total £1900. Also gave the option of increasing my excess to £1000 which would then cancel out the premium increase.
Fingers crossed Sunninghill will be more competitive next time round.
My chimaera started misfiring a couple of weeks ago and I decided to not risk the long cycle of trying to find fixes - straight to Mark Adams instead. Hopefully booked in for a session at Power Engineering on Tuesday to fix the misfire and have the Tornado chip fitted and mapped.
Of course this meant a call to the insurers. I got a quote from Sunninghill when I last renewed and having heard they were more likely to understand the upgrade, thought I'd check back for a quote (also as I wanted to get track/euro cover).
At renewal time in April, they quoted £1800. With the chip they're now quoting *ahem* £2900!
Thankfully Direct Line, who I'm currently with, came back with an increase of £200 making the total £1900. Also gave the option of increasing my excess to £1000 which would then cancel out the premium increase.
Fingers crossed Sunninghill will be more competitive next time round.
Mark.S said:
Following recent mentions of insurance companies being less willing to accomodate us tivvers, I thought I'd post my recent encounter.
My chimaera started misfiring a couple of weeks ago and I decided to not risk the long cycle of trying to find fixes - straight to Mark Adams instead. Hopefully booked in for a session at Power Engineering on Tuesday to fix the misfire and have the Tornado chip fitted and mapped.
Of course this meant a call to the insurers. I got a quote from Sunninghill when I last renewed and having heard they were more likely to understand the upgrade, thought I'd check back for a quote (also as I wanted to get track/euro cover).
At renewal time in April, they quoted £1800. With the chip they're now quoting *ahem* £2900!
Thankfully Direct Line, who I'm currently with, came back with an increase of £200 making the total £1900. Also gave the option of increasing my excess to £1000 which would then cancel out the premium increase.
Fingers crossed Sunninghill will be more competitive next time round.
tell em to ferk orf, the mods enhance driveability not performance, after all the TVR official figures for BHP have not been exceeded by the work have they
IMHO this is just a "service". I think it's been discussed before on here - try a search or FAQ. It may still be wise to inform the insurer, but insist that the mod is there to bring the car up to factory condition. Or were you having an "upgraded" chip or something more non-standard?
It is a modification. Period. You can make whatever argument you like but the insurers have to be told. They can then decide what they want to do.
Also bear in mind that many of the insurance brokers are being very selective about who they cover these days because of the increase in claims. The way they are being selective is to increase the premiums. It is there way of saying sorry I really don't want your business at the moment.
Also bear in mind that many of the insurance brokers are being very selective about who they cover these days because of the increase in claims. The way they are being selective is to increase the premiums. It is there way of saying sorry I really don't want your business at the moment.
If an insurance company can find a way out of paying up they will 
After one of my many accidents in my 1st car, this one was 50/50, my company refused payment for the 3rd parties car as one of his tyres was below the legal limit 
So are Toyo's a mod or are they now standard and SO2/3/4's are the mod
After one of my many accidents in my 1st car, this one was 50/50, my company refused payment for the 3rd parties car as one of his tyres was below the legal limit So are Toyo's a mod or are they now standard and SO2/3/4's are the mod
I am fairly sure tyres are not a mod as long as you are using the recomended fitment for your car. Either by the tyre manufacturer or the car manufacturer recomendation is okay. 
Edited to say: Using different sizes or speed ratings would probably be considered a mod.
>> Edited by icamm on Friday 18th July 14:45
Edited to say: Using different sizes or speed ratings would probably be considered a mod.
>> Edited by icamm on Friday 18th July 14:45
icamm said:
We went through this recently on one of the Nitrons threads. Declare what you are doing but explain to them that it is to try and fix a fault with the engine misfiring and not being done as a specific performance mod. Hopefully they will take the friendly approach.
Tried that and unfortunately Sunnighill just weren't interested. My suprise was that Direct Line took a more considered approach, albeit resulting in an increase.
Hopefully, when armed with the printouts, I can show the power hasn't increased over book figures.
This surprises me - I'm with Sunninghill & they haven't charged me any more for uprated brakes & the Tornado chip.
Yes they do know about it....
In fact, when I talked to their TVR specialist, he seemed to know all about the Tornado chip, & that it tended to move the curves to lower RPMs rather than increase the peak. He also said something along the lines of "That's nothing, you should see what Steve Heath has done to his car & we still insure him
"
>> Edited by CraigAlsop on Saturday 19th July 22:38
Yes they do know about it....
In fact, when I talked to their TVR specialist, he seemed to know all about the Tornado chip, & that it tended to move the curves to lower RPMs rather than increase the peak. He also said something along the lines of "That's nothing, you should see what Steve Heath has done to his car & we still insure him
" >> Edited by CraigAlsop on Saturday 19th July 22:38
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