Re: Insurance Coverage of Old, Modified Audis - UK answers

["Ian J Haseltine" <jim_haseltine@email.msn.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Hurst Quebbeman <dougq@iglou.com>
To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
Date: 18 January 1998 22:18
Subject: Insurance Coverage of Old, Modified Audis



>One question they ask is: has the car been restored or modified in
>any way?
They always ask the modified question in the UK no matter what car you are
wanting to insure.

>Of course, they need to know this; if you're carrying comprehensive
>firem theft, and collision coverage, they need to have an idea how
>much you car will cost to replace/restore/rebuild.
Thats not why they ask it, they are trying to assess the risk - a modified
car is more likely to be driven fast and is therefore more likely to be
involved in an accident. (Not my opinion, its how the insurance companies
work)

>How "forthright" are listers about disclosure?
If you dont declare everything you run the risk of having the insurance
company withdrawn cover and that leaves you really in the sh*t because
you've been driving and involved in an accident without insurance - very
much against the law here in the UK.

>Anybody's rates go up with they admitted their 86 5kcstq is pushing
>225hp, not the 160hp it had on the showroom floor?
Certainly would in the UK.

>And lastly, does anyone on the list use one of those insurers who
>specialize in souped-up and restored cars?
When I first attempted to get cover for my Ur-q, my current (at the time)
insurer wouldn't touch it, my broker wasn't used to dealing with performance
cars but tried one or two other companies. The best quote was around 800GBP
and this included a 60% discount for my no-claim history. I made a couple of
calls to specialist brokers and obtained a 450GBP premium.

Its best to disclose everything over here, even down to parts you fit in the
cabin, like pedals and gearknobs. I have heard of a couple of horror
stories, one guy had his claim rejected because his car had alloy wheels
which he had not declared. The alloys were a factory extra, not standard on
his vehicle but because he was the second owner he wasn't aware of it.
A couple of years ago a young lad that I know bought himself his first car -
nothing special, but it was new not used. He knew that he couldn't afford
the high insurance if he made any performance modifications, so he settled
for having the car sprayed in an unusual colour, really good job it was too.
Some 3 months later some low-life torched it and left him with a burnt out
shell. The insurance company refused a full claim because the paint job had
"made the car a target".

Jim Haseltine
88 Ur quattro