I do appologise for its length but it might be helpful if you have replaced/modified your car.

What would you call a modification to your car?

Now as im 40, and have a reasonable amount of mechanical knowledge what i classify as modifying your car is

Engine tweeks e.g. porting, cams, headers, carbs jetting (ok now adays its chipping your fuel injection system, hey i am 40) i don't classify air filters or induction kits as a modification unless it is a fan assisted mod (mini turbo fan in line to the filter).

Suspension tweeks e.g lowering springs, i don't include shocks

Body work e.g. spoilers, skirts, obvious serious body reshaping. Putting a different ariel, badge (as long as it coresponds to the model as its some legal requirement e.g. you can't have a 1.3 ltr badge on a bigger cc model, BUT you can have a V8 badge on a 1.1 ford escort van as the cc shown is more than the engine size ) or wiper blades on it with air foils i don't put in the mods bin.

Chassis mods e.g. braces

Brakes mods e.g. bigger discs and calipers (standard size vented or drilled don't count).

Wheels / tyres. Now basically upgrading to alloy wheels means better handeling and improved fuel economy if they are the same size as whats on the car or slightly wider size (as long as they fit) i see no problem as its more of a styling change rather than performance. Low profile special road compound tyres, are for improving the handeling at higher speeds and more grip in corners, so they are a definate performance mod compared to getting wider standard(ish) tyres. Snow tyres in this country i think are not used much but as they are only used rarely i wouldn't include

Exhausts. From my era you only changed the exhaust if you had tweeked the engine, but now adays you can buy tweeked exhausts that are tuned to improve areas of performance (e.g. more torque at lower revs) or tones i.e. big bloody bore exhaust rear silencers

Thats basically what i classify as modifications to cars

Now i just purchased a Fabia 1.9SDI estate which ment i had to change my insurance company.

They asked me has it been modified and i said the stereo has been changed.

Was the stereo an upgrade or a replacement.

I said i had no idea but it is just a cd tuner.

Well thats a modification and your insurance is now more money.:thumbdwn:

I asked how much if i took the stereo out and it worked out as a months installment which is about £38.

Now if the stereo cost about £50 from Halfords and its not a top of the line (actually i think its out dated) that means every year and a half, i pay the cost of the stereo in insurance because it is NOT STANDARD SPEC.:eek:

Now this makes me worry as what does my insurance company call a modification.

I could understand if i had said well it has 2 12inch 400watt subs plus amps, i've upgraded and added speakers which needs seperate amps, and i have a full media centre kit installed in the head rests and dashboard, THEN i could understand well sir the insurance will go up.

All i do is listen mainly to Radio 4, and the odd techno album, but then if i wanted Bass i have a 10" sub in my BMW635csi 1986 to vibrate myself with. Actually the standard speekers and this kenwood in the Fabia do make the wing mirrors vibrate lol

Anyway, i got my updated insurance docs through and it had a modifications box.

This is what was in th ebox and i quote "Has this vehicle been modified from the makers specifications?(Any changes must be disclosed, including but not limited to: changes to the engine / chassis / suspension / body / spoilers / wheels / tyres / skirts / badges / sound system, etc."

Now as what i classify as modifications would improve the handeling and power output which would be used by people who want to have more power and handeling as they WANT to go quicker and go around that bend faster, which i have no problem with (as long as its sensibly done and not along the main high street) hell i have a 215hp classic that for its time WAS the fastest thing around but a Renault5 2ltr gives her a run for her money (ok i just about kept up in a straight line) but then thats 20 yrs of tech.

I digress, sorry, now this should increase your insurance as you are modifying your vehicle to go at higher speeds and handle around corners better so you can go fast, WHICH could possibly mean (depending on if you have good driving skills or you drive like you do on your xbox) an increase in your likelyhood to have an accident and cause more damage as you were going faster.

I don't exspect to have my insurance increased simply because the stereo is not standard and is a basic model without subs etc etc.

But this also made me wonder about what else THEY classify as modifications "from the makers specifications?"

I am thinking of getting some under seat storage lockers. I CAN'T believe both will cost me less than £15 from a Main Dealer!!

Well it seams a really cheap way to get more storage space and they are available for all Fabias (not to sure about other models).

Now as this is not the spec i bought the car with (classic and without seat storage option and second hand) would this be classified as a modifiction?

How many of you out there have just got a little this or that and fitted it to your car?

Would this not make your insurance invalid?

Ok a little story from Radio 4

A guy bought a BMW 3 series. He had a load of optional extras fitted to it.

He thought as this car is being fitted from the factory and is what they were offering him he didn't classify them as modifications as they wern't after factory add ons.

He then wrote it off or had it writen off.

Insurance man came down and said that they wouldn't pay out because of the non standard options he hadn't told them about.

He had to pay the insurance company £1200 to back date his insurance for the modifications before they would pay out on his car.

I wonder if he was with Fortis like me?

My sister is in the know and apparently Fortis are really picky about what they classify as modifications, so when mine comes for renewal, you can guess who i won't be with

Additional

As for major stereo upgrades, well they just make the sound better and only prob i can see is it might make some little toe rag want to break into it so a percentage of its value should be redeamed in an increase,

Not if you are replacing it with something so you can hear Radio 4 without crackles.

Furry dice are not an upgrade, but you should be penalised for bad taste lol

Any deviation from the standard specification is considered a modification.

In some respects the insurance companies try to use this to pull your pants down.

It varies by insurance co.

Eagle Star, years ago, counted badging as a modification. Elephant don't care about stereos below a certain figure (£500?). One company didn't mind a weber carb on a Mk2 Golf, as it wasn't a performance upgrade.

privilege and direct line don't count wheels that are optional extras from skoda but after market ones they do

RBS based insurers (Direct line/Churchill/Tesco) dont give a rats @ss about optional non-performance extras fitted to a vehicle by the factory - so long as you declare them. Leather seats and non-standard factory fit alloys didnt change my premium in the slightest - however the nonstandard stereo is not declared, it's implied in the handbook that it's not something they're bothered about and they'll cover without declaration anyway.

I dont think stereos are something most insurers are bothered about - after all they're usually worth less than the excess value of the policy

I've heard of some insurers trying to get out of a claim because a car had stickers on. You really do need to declare anything you can think of, or you may have diffculties in the event of any claim.

On my last policy I was not allowed to have a leather retrim - I had to wait until I renewed.

Don't forget modifications that increase a car's desirability (and therefore potential to be stolen) will affect premiums just as much as performance mods.

My current policy is arranged through Brentacre who understand modifications and can at least have a sensible conversation - try explaining what a rear anti-roll bar is to an Indian call centre if you are bored sometime!

The policy I have has an agreed bhp cap, and within that you can do pretty much whatever you want in terms of handling, braking and cosmetic mods, as long as they are listed.

So i have to declare my primer wheels then ? :confused:

Technically yes. Anything that changes the visual appearance or engine power of your vehicle is a modification, like putting steel rims on an Elegance, L&K or vRS! And I'll bet there are insurers who'd refuse cover or increase premiums for doing it too!

The sports suspension and 17" added to premium

TPM lowered it again

Xenons lowered bit more

Mxidot no change

Curtain airbags, an extra £50

WTF? They really do have a random number generator, I swear.

It is pretty random, for sure..

Curtain airbags, an extra £50

WTF? They really do have a random number generator, I swear.

Costs more to fix after a shunt, or replace after a write-off.

i think they class the curtain airbags like the cage, why would you put them there unless you were driving like a nutter!! i know its safety but insurers like to shaft us.

So a car with ESP should cost disproportionately more to insure than the same car without it!

Had a Ford Explorer a few years ago. Looking at buying a K&N induction kit and cone filter for it which depending on the website I looked at was supposed to increase power from 204bhp to between 209 and 214bhp.

Phoned my insurance company (think it was Privilege at the time), explained to them and they wanted something like an extra £120 for the rest of the policy year (about 5 months):eek: Insurance for the whole year was under £400!!!

Didn't bother in the end. Worst thing is I was doing it mostly because it was suppose to help with MPG!!!

Those "major Tv advertised" insurers don't want to have to deal with anything "complicated", like an induction kit. Hence the stupid money price.

The best advice is to declare everything that is not factory fitted. Your insurer may not want to know all of it but at least you have peace of mind you have declared all that is not standard.

Dan.

Not factory fitted, or including Dan?

I've declared everything factory fitted which isnt standard on an Elegance Octy. Current insurer want more for the allys and sports suspension, less for TPM and Xenons (as safety) which balanced out to £0 increase and as above extra £50 for the airbags (repair cost?)

At least in a shunt I'll get my spec repaired, and not standard spec.

Any views on how to treat retrofitted OEM items that were available on the vehicle concerned as factory fit options?

Retrofitted after leaving the factory are mods that must be declared, or you risk voiding any cover in the event of a claim.

OEM replacements for consumable/wear & tear items is OK. Ie exhausts, brake disks etc.

Ken and Gadgetman are right, major insurers DO want to know about any modifications from the vehicles standard specification, they may not increase the premium if you declare you STILL need to declare as it may affect the repair/overall value of the car in event of a claim.

If you did not declare a sat nav unit ordered as an option or leather seats that were an option, when it came to a claim and the insurer paying out you would only get the value of a vehicle like yours without the mods and not the actual value of your vehicle.

Main insurers like CHill or DL are not specialist insurers and although will allow cars with certain mods its not their target market and cannot give as competitive a price as a specialist who can cater for these mods.

If you were to heavily mod your car ie engine swap and not declare it then they would probably not cover you at all, not something you want at all!

I've taken the good advice given above and declared my retrofit Columbus satnav installed this week. No additional premium and there's a letter on its way to confirm its covered. I'm insured with Esure.

As per others - take the safe option. Provided car is fairly mainstream most insurers aren't too bothered. I have a specific clause in my policy (with Direct Line) for the factory-fit sat nav. Best idea with insurers is don't give them any reason to quibble. Because they will!

Found out the company im insured with only has ONE broker. I only found this out when i tried to get my god daughter added to the policy (£900 pound plus.. forget it a bus pass is cheaper) and they said they will have more brokers to go with when its time to renew my policy.

No wonder i can't get a better quote from them lol

Im still with (untill September) Greenerinsurance Scotish based company. I mainly went with them as they plant trees to off set your carbon emmissions.

Found out the company im insured with only has ONE broker. I only found this out when i tried to get my god daughter added to the policy (£900 pound plus.. forget it a bus pass is cheaper) and they said they will have more brokers to go with when its time to renew my policy.

No wonder i can't get a better quote from them lol

Im still with (untill September) Greenerinsurance Scotish based company. I mainly went with them as they plant trees to off set your carbon emmissions.

With an SDi, are carbons really an issue anyway? I would more or less expect to be getting better than 60mpg from one of them (well I've beaten 60 with an Octy TDi90)..