Modifications and Insurance

[Bill Elliott <wcelliot@concentric.net>]

I agree with what a previous lister added... insurance companies base
their rates on a particular car on the loss history of all those cars...
which may or may not be modified.  As long as you were honest up front,
I doubt they could fight a claim.... BUT they only have to replace a
"stock" car.  If you have your 4KTQ insured as a 4KQ... expect them only
to replace it as a 4KQ.

Interesting sidebar: my insurance agency (USAA) never asks if a car is
modified... but they occaisionally _do_ ask if the car will be used for
racing or any form of speed competition.  Once I asked "What if I say
yes?"  This completely flustered the agent who checked with her
supervisor who checked with his own boss.  The answer: "Nobody _ever_
says 'yes' ".

Now collector car insurance is much more like the British model.  You
have to explain, in detail, what variances the car has from original...
and both your rates and claims are based on this info.  (Many companies
simply won't insure some types of vehicles... like rods).  If you have
been found to violate the policy, these companies are notorious for not
paying the claim.  

My big fear with these huys is liability.  If I use my Amphicar to run
to the grocery store (against the terms of some policies) and hit
somebody.... will they pay? (Due to this likely unreasonable fear, I run
a seperate liability-only policy on my "drivers")

Bill Elliott
Lake Mills, WI
new toys: '59 Berkeley 328 (project), '60 Berkeley T60 (1 of 7 in the
US)... previous owners' pix at 
http://members.home.net/fraserlane/index.html, '67 Amphicar (project),
and '73 Porsche 914 1.7.  

To keep from having to sleep in the garage, I'm selling the 914 (very
nice, low mileage) and various project cars: '65 Polara 'vert, '65
Corvair Monza Coupe, '70 Datsun Roadster, and my Corvair-based dune
buggy. Amphicar: maybe....