Which mods do you declare?

Buying a ‘5 and Insurance advice Insurance Advice
2

 I want to see how many mx5 owners on nutz and this site phone up their insurance to tell them of every modification.

So maybe I should ring my insurance and tell them all this:-

Mods they know about:-

Ss exhaust from mx5 parts

Mini raid steering wheel (on car when I bought it)

 

Mods added and insurance do not know:-

Style Bar

Rota Wheels 15" and Toyo Tyres

Aluminium Strut Bar In Engine Bay

Red Aluminium Valve Caps

Sony Double Din Stereo.

Mini steering wheel changed to Nardi Black Leather normal size wheel.

Flashing Brake Boot Light

Blue Neon Chrome Jet Washers

White Dials

Flash to pass

Lights on Buzzer Unit

Welding on Drivers Engine Wing

Red Roof with Glass window

???

I am with A-Plan who charge me £31 a month.  Car has been a write off before I bought it so they know its an s ltd with all the standard things that come with it.

If my car gets written off stolen or anything I know for a fact the figure I gave them to pay out  they are not going to pay me that anyway because insurance companies never do give you the full value.

£1500 of  my own cash will get me a decent replacement and thats all that matters.

Mk2 suspension, mk1 suspension (the insurers only know that suspension is just SUSPENSION), they won’t have a bleeding clue what the difference is.  Insurance companies no longer come out and inspect the car like they did in the 60’s and 70’s they want photos and diagrams from us how the accident happened and they decide from that who is at fault and whether to pay out. 

 

3

Unfortunately, they do (at their option). Not all claims involve an accident for instance.

 

 

 

4

Topic split and moved to a more relavent forum.

5

 Well if i had to phone the insurance Co with all the liltltle bits and pieces i have added on and the upgrading between the marks(with OE parts) with my two,i would need a direct line to them,i’m not haveing that anyone is sad enough to phone them about everything they do on the Mx/roadster.

6

Basically I agree Wayne, no point telling them you have a fancy cam cover or vent rings etc. Wheels, brakes, roll bars,superchargers/turbos/spoilers, these things must be declared. There is a but though, if you do claim, don’t expect to get paid out for all the ad ons unless they are declared, and even then you probably wont get any cash. Remember that insurance companies are in business to make money, not pay it out, so they will do whatever they can to reduce any payment they have to make. There are companies out there who do offer really good service, but I bet the el cheapo ones don’t—

 

7

 I understand where your coming from geoff,and agree,and to be truthful they have us all by the short and curlys anyway, and if i had fitted a turbo,supercharger,change an engine to an higher cc and what knots i would be on the phone no worries.

But you see there lies my problem for one…

I change my wheels at the most 3 times a year on the Mk 2, 4 on the Mk 1,snow tyres,wet/winter tyres,summer set,and for the Mk 1 chrome spokes for show(which are all 14"),i have not got time to phone the insurance Co when i see it also as being something you need on the car anyway to drive her,and if anything thinking safer because of the weather/road conditions???

the list of things i have upgraded only useing OE stock items between the two marks is a big one,one being The Mk 2 dampers on a Mk 1???

Mk 2 wiper motor on the Mk 1 for another,Mk 1 wiper linkage onto a Mk 2,the list goes on,you see where i’m coming from ,are these declarable items,because i just see it as a making a daft phome call every week to the insurance Co ,but like you say to them it’s extra cionage out off your pocket???and a excuse to bump your premium up to what they want anyway???

If i feel i had done a major change to the cars i would ring them on the button,but i don’t do track and i’m well past the boy racer stage…i hope???

and i just enjoy my Mx/roadster by hopefully makeing them better alround to use,which helps others,by toying with mine.

Regards

 

8

Wheels. If your car gets wrecked with a set of steel wheels fitted, you get one price, if your car gets totalled with a set of £300/corner lightweights and you havent declared them, you wont get compensated for them.
There is only one answer to this often debated point…Ring your broker/insurance company and ask them.—

9

Just my opinoin but this is an incredibley naive and dangerous thing to say as you can see from this recent thread insurance companies can and do inspect cars.

http://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/forums/t/12726.aspx

Insurance companies will do anything they can to get out of paying a claim.

You are meant to declare every alteration from standard unless replacing with like for like parts. Including wheels, steering wheels all that gumph.

I for one don’t want someone crashing into me and their insurance company not paying out because the car isn’t standard and they haven’t declared all mods.

In the same way that I don’t want my insurance company wriggling out of a claim if I accidentaly trash it into a Ferrari which is why I declare everything, even uprated brake pads, it normally doesn’t increase the premium as long as it’s not performance but at least if it’s noted on your file they haven’t got any comeback.

10

I can appreciate people possibly keeping mods to themselves due to the fact that it will likely increase their premiums but this is not financially viable. For the extra on your annual premium at least you are going to get the true like-for-like cost (minus depreciation) back if the worst happens.  I take the hit each year as there is no way I could afford to start all over again with a book-price stock replacement car and mod to the level Betsy is currently at.

I put all my mods into Compare the Merkat and then again as standard, the difference was only £40. It did however jump up nearly £200 when I repeated the process but with protected no claims.

11

I declare all my mods, and that is quite a document. My insurance is £300, fully comp including track day cover. Not bad for a stripped out, caged, lowered, turbo with the diff welded solid and hand made carbon fibre bodywork.

I change wheels every couple of hours on a busy day, and I’ve covered this by declaring all the wheels I may have fitted to my car, from the ones I got for free to the ones that would cost £300 to replace. I had a list of my wheels anyway, so e-mailing it off was no hardship.

For those people who don’t decare shiny bits of internal trim - do you think it makes your car more attractive? If so it’s more attractive to thieves too, wouldn’t you say? A quick roof slash and they are gone, so it would be a shame not to be covered.

 

I’ve never claimed on insurance, and I don’t intend to in the future, but if I have to have it it might as well be a rigorous and binding agreement.

12

 Agree totally with Captain Muppet… if you have not declared mods then your insurance is invalid which is a prosecutable offence (driving without insurance).  As for listing just how illegal you are on a public forum… jeez!!!

 

Russell.

13

 Oh what a bad boy i am{#emotions_dlg.cry}

 

14

 

Didn’t mean to get at anyone here, just a heads up really{#emotions_dlg.thumb} 

Its everyones individual choice obviously, but people ought to be aware that Insurance companies frequent car forums like this to look for threads on this subject, and successful prosecutions have been made off similar threads…one on the Skyline forum, and one on OldSkool Ford that I know of, but I’d think there have been others.

Russell.

15

Who do you think will be crying if god forbid you hit and paralysed someone and then your insurance didn’t pay out to them because you saved a few quid or a couple of minutes not declaring mods?

 

 

16

{#emotions_dlg.cry} 

17

 

An instant and winning argument for adding intellectual and emotional maturity tests to the driving licence exams.

 

 

 

 

18

 HA HA HA DEEP???{#emotions_dlg.sleep}

19

I don’t think anyone on any forum has fallen in my estimation quite as far or as fast as you have. And believe me I did used to rate you very highly on this forum.

But since you don’t seem to give a **** about anyone but yourself it’s probably water off a ducks back.

Queue pointless smiley.

 

 

20

Would they really not payout to the 3rd party because of your mods …wow Cry indeed

Was completly honest with my insurance company but until this thread raised issues wish id lied… the premium is rediculous and the price I pay is rediculous and generally wondered whether the price of insurance was actually justified. Mentioning the example above I think justifies I guess…

Wozboz