Insurance

[dannylt]

Just bought a standard 98 Elise, and intend to modify the engine at some point in the future (something like the Dave Andrews 160bhp conversion). Admiral seems unhappy to deal with this, can anyone recommend other reasonable insurers for the Elise? Privilege used to be happy with all my Cerbera mods, any others?

cheers!

Danny

[Bonce]

Adrian Flux seem OK with mods. I've been with them for three years and have found them to be excellent. Slow on paperwork, but otherwise very good.

[bogie]

Tescos, Frizzels, Barclaycard all worth trying

[waterboy]

I share your frustration. They won't even let me put a performance exhaust and an air filter on! Like it was a slow car to start with!!!

Cheams put together a reasonable quote - however that was £500 more than my Admiral premium.

[dannylt]

waterboy - are you saying Privilege *won't* let you modify your car???

[waterboy]

sorry, wasn't clear. "Admiral" will not let me make ANY modifications to my car. Which means I must change insurer or just go ahead and do it anyway!

[bogie]

change then to Frizzells or Barclaycard - thats what Im doing next month - Tescos charge me £650 excess - £500 std and £150 because its modded. Barclaycard and Frizzells is £100 and cover all mods ..think Frizzells even do trackdays with a low excess too

[gregmund]

I had a problem similar to this with RAC Insure - discovered my car has 4:1 manifold at service after having the car for two months - phoned RAC [actually AXA using RAC branding] & they said they could no longer insure the car! Had a big wrangle with AXA r.e. cancellation fees as they were forcing me to cancel and charging for the privelage In the end RAC themselves made up the £130 difference as I've been a member with hem for ages

So - then I had to find a new company - did it all online with Elephant If you click the 'modifed/yes' option the next screen with pretty much every kind of mod - you just check the appropriate box(es)- in my case exhaust/manifold. So far they've been really good & they were £5 cheaper than my original premium!

[WildfireX0]

Bogie, do frizzels have a web site I can get a quote from?

[bogie]

No website - phone only - do a search for Liverpool Victoria or Frizzells for the number...sorry dont have it to hand

[dannylt]

Well, I tried Elephant, and they weren't happy with any modifications that increase the power. They put me through to Alan & Alan High Performance though.

[dannylt]

Bah, no insurance company is interested. The best was a poxy 20% increase in power. I guess the lesson is, if you want 160 or 190bhp in an Elise, get a Sport 160 or a Sport 190 :-(.

Suppose the best route is Adrian Flux/Footman James non standardish insurance.

[bogie]

mmmm - Im insured with TEsco on my DVA155 - tried Barclaycard and Frizzel?

[dannylt]

How did you describe the DVA155 mod? That's exactly what I was thinking of, but while some where happy with an official Lotus conversion done by a dealer, none were happy with DVA.

danny

[bogie]

just tell them its had cams and port n polish + 20% BHP bracket, I also declare induction/exhaust...thats it, pay around £120 a year more on £900 ish base price at the moment. High excess though - £650

changing to Barclaycard or Frizzells (dont care about mods)next month

[dannylt]

But 155/118 is over 30% extra bhp?

[bogie]

a std car is around 128-30 bhp on the rolling road with a stainless exhaust on. Lotus/Rover have to state the minimum an egine will put out otherwise they would get done by trades descrption - most put out more than 118 once run in properly....from what Ive seen on the Emerald RR Elise graphs around 125bhp minimum

Ive never been asked for a dyno chart from an insurance company yet...and if you write it off they are hardly going to take it a RR and dyno it just to make sure you wernt telling porkies

>> Edited by bogie on Thursday 26th June 13:56

[dannylt]

Fair enough!

[bogie]

oh and BTW - the DVA155kit is completey invisible/undetectable unless they start stripping the engine and measuring valve sizes etc ...so whether you declare it all is down to you !

Maybe just declare visible/audible stuff like exhaust/filter?

[dannylt]

Surely the Emerald ECU is more obvious?