Insuring re-mapped cars

[pstruck]

I've never owned a re-mapped/chipped car, but quite a few of the vRS's I've been considering have them. I have a few questions then:

Have you done the honest thing and told your insurer?

Have you found getting insurance difficult (insureres refusing to cover power mods)?

Have you found it expensive?

Which insurers are happy to cover this sort of modification?

[ap0gee1978]

Yep.

Yep.

Yep (but I have a Greater Manchester postcode).

Not many - possibly only brokers.

HTH

[Interphase]

It's not worth dodging it because it's not only you who suffers in an accident, but any involved third parties. Places like Chris Knott and Adrian Flux are happy to consider mods, but if you go for the latter check the T&Cs for charges *very* carefully. I was offered a Marker Study policy with a £45 charge for mid-term changes...

[VRS Mike]

I was quoted £350 without and £600 + for my mods on my VRS.

[pstruck]

Yikes! Standard car for me then!

[DBP]

I am with elephant who will do it. They wanted an extra £300 of me for it but if I upgraded the brakes and something else I lost nearly £200 so it wasn't overly that bad. ... Then you add up all the money it would actually cost haha.

Edited 10 January, 2011 by DBP

[miserablegit]

I am with Aviva who charged extra £78 for year but thats on a MKII

[RichOctVrs]

You can get a good idea of the companies which will accept remapped cars by using the confused.com and compare-the-market type comparison sites.

Also, a quick google search’ll show insurers that ‘specialise’ in modified cars.

I’ve done a few searches and found that a stage 1 remap will add around 25% to a premium (depending on who you are with)

You might have to jump ship to get the lowest rate (and don’t forget cashback via quidco).

[lordrobs]

I have my remap declared. I find it makes shopping for car insurance more difficult because the comparison sites don't work well for modified cars.

I often question the decision to remap my one but then I think about the cost of running and insuring something with similar overall performance to my remapped Octavia (note the word performance NOT peak BHP as the 200 > 210 bhp of a remapped Octavia only tells part of the story IMO) and it still seems like good value for money.

As for my insurance. I tend to phone up 3 or 4 of the more specialist insurers (Chris Knott, Adrian Flux, Sky etc.) Get the best price then ring around again asking if they can beat that price then go with the best package.

[Matt C]

Ive used Adrian Flux for quite a few years, they are great for modified cars, good prices too from what I've seen.

My insurance last year was £500 with all mods listed, the next best price i could get was £900!!

Well worth giving them a call, and yes do list all mod's as if you don't, you may aswell not have insurance. Any excuse for insurance firms and they will use it not to pay out.

Adrian Flux: 0800 369 8590

[Liverpool-Lad]

Yes, the extra power is worth it, like night and day. It may not be too bad if you live in aquiet, low crime area and arent 17!

[dirty hari]

have mods and listed they didnt put my insurance up at all. I am with www.brentacre.co.uk they were £200 cheaper than flux for me

[Liam-6]

Ive used Adrian Flux for quite a few years, they are great for modified cars, good prices too from what I've seen.

My insurance last year was £500 with all mods listed, the next best price i could get was £900!!

Well worth giving them a call, and yes do list all mod's as if you don't, you may aswell not have insurance. Any excuse for insurance firms and they will use it not to pay out.

Adrian Flux: 0800 369 8590

+1

I currently pay £500 on the vRS @ the age of 22 and 3 years NCB's....Fully comp too.

[Interphase]

They barely got under that for me, with ten years NCB and a few more years elsewhere I gave up and stuck with Chris Knott at £500 despite a £70 increase on last year, just because their terms were fairer.

[Jigger72]

Just to add to this thread of woe, I was browsing insurance prices for a diesel, 54 plate Superb and the cheapest quote was £900. Which got me thinking, 'That seems a lot when my modified Octavia 1.8T, 53 plate was only £450 last year???'

So I've just phoned Brentacre for a quote on my Octavia, and it was £939 I'm not even due for renewal until April so it's only going to get worse. This is with an extra year's NCB, and although I've picked up an SP30 & 3 points along the way, the Brentacre guy was saying this doesnt make that much difference, it was the postcode.

So is he saying there's been so much crime and so many claims in our area in the last 10 months that Highway just HAVE to double my insurance :S We've never had any trouble anywhere around our way in the last four years so where's all this car crime happening?

I can't afford to drive it now so I guess that's that. It was a good 3 years but if anyone wants to buy a well-loved silver Octavia 1.8T then let me know :'(

[Stuart_J]

There are quite a few firms who will cover it but the extra varies wildly as the posts above prove.

First thing to check is if your existing company will cover it, if you are part way through the term or you may be left stuck.

Chris Knott, Agrian Flux & Pace Ward are all worth trying. Ive got a highly modded 350Zed 455 at the wheels + brake & suspension upgrades, good points are Im over 50 full NCB, good postcode but 6 points & Im paying a whisker over 600 Fully Comp with Pace Ward + that includes track days at I think £80 a day

http://www.pw-f.co.uk/content/view/17/79/

Edited 13 January, 2011 by Stuart_J

[Jigger72]

There are quite a few firms who will cover it but the extra varies wildly as the posts above prove.

First thing to check is if your existing company will cover it, if you are part way through the term or you may be left stuck.

Chris Knott, Agrian Flux & Pace Ward are all worth trying. Ive got a highly modded 350Zed 455 at the wheels + brake & suspension upgrades, good points are Im over 50 full NCB, good postcode but 6 points & Im paying a whisker over 600 Fully Comp with Pace Ward + that includes track days at I think £80 a day

http://www.pw-f.co.uk/content/view/17/79/

I've not heard of Pace Ward before. I'll give them a shout.

In the meantime, I tried quotes at my mum's address in Shropshire… £277 :yes: Hmmm… Could I? Should I?

I also tried putting SWMBO on as a named driver and that seemed to knock another £150 off the original quote, although she'd never actually drive the car.

I can't believe that a service we're obliged to use by law, has no regulation to protect the consumer getting fleeced by private companies :no:

[TomGG]

All my mods with Admiral are declared and it only cost me about 40 quid

[mountie66]

I pay £215 All mods are declared and yes it does depend on where u live......I also have a 10 plate audi S4 and it is only £440 I have 10 trs ncb and at 44 that is not bad...