Hi all.

Does anyone have any recommendations for insurers that will not push the prices up too high for a remapped engine?  I'm am looking at purchasing a Fabia VRS (Mk1) and will probably get it remapped before too long to get some more performance and to raise fuel economy.   I have read a few threads across several forums (not just skoda specific) and people have talked about £75 - £100 premium increases for adding a remap as a mod, which seems fine, particularly given the savings I'd see on economy on most journeys (I do around 20k miles a year, mostly motorway, so I'd quickly absorb the extra cost in fuel savings).

However, a price comparison I just ran using 'confused.com' gave me a premium of £405 for a vanilla VRS fabia, but when I added a 'bluprint' modification, the cheapest three prices they could find were £653 (Flux Direct), £740(Premium Choice) and £804!!(The Policy Shop). This seems an absurd jump for such a common and straight forward mod.

 

Can anyone recommend insurers they have used who have made more reasonable changes to premiums for remaps, so I can try some direct enquiries?

Many thanks

 

Rich

Comparison sites probably aren't going to be your best bet for a remap. Try all the specialists on this forum, who should be able to help you get the best deal.

For anyone else's reference: Comparrison websites beat 3 of the 4 insurers on this forum.

 

• Adrian Flux came up with the best quote for buying a remapped car at £597. A premium increase of over  £100 sadly, but still the best available for me.
• Greenlight would not insure the mk1 Fabia (Whether it's vRS or not) at all if I was buying one, only if I had already owned it a year. Not satisfied with the explanation given, but insurance logic has always seemed pretty bizarre.
• Sky were able to insure, but at a little over £660 their quote was more expensive than the comparison sites. Very efficient and polite service over the phone though, has to be said.
• Chris Knott were again, very polite and efficient, but while they were theoretically able to insure, they advised (sensibly) that it was not worth running a quote as it would likely be over £1500 (!)  This is because I have not owned a car with similar or higher horsepower before.   1) On this basis, production of powerful cars would quickly cease, as nobody would be able to insure their first one.  2)This completely ignores every other factor involved, like power-to-weight ratio, driver assists, the driver's own history, etc. For example, I've spent the last 7 years piloting a pretty powerful, late model classic mini with zero assists - a car is very pacy and a lot easier to crash, roll, stop, etc, with no traction control, ABS or power steering  - I haven't so much as scratched it. While I appreciate this restriction is put in place by their insurers, as opposed to by the broker, it's still a disappointing, and relatively narrow-minded box to put on the ticklist.

Bottom line - for a group of insurers set up to support owners of modified cars, there seems a large amount of reluctance to insure anyone actually purchasing a modified car. 

 

These are of course, only my opinions, from my own experiences.  All staff I spoke to were helpful and I take point with the insurers more than the brokers.  I'll just go back to confused.com, or Adrian Flux, if I find a suitable car.

Of course, next year you'll have the required experience of the car, so the club scheme should benefit you then.

Of course, next year you'll have the required experience of the car, so the club scheme should benefit you then.

 

A sound theory. If I can afford to insure a remap this year. Not looking likely :(

For anyone else's reference: Comparrison websites beat 3 of the 4 insurers on this forum.

 

I found Chris Knott and Sky both better than any other company I tried, and of course fantasic service from both, so like you say it's all down to the individual. Really hope you managed to get something sorted though.

Hi,

Thanks for giving us a try. I'm glad we could help out. Good luck with your car search.

Regards,

Dan.

Sky are normally cheapest for me, remap only cost an extra £50 on top of the already modified policy.

 

Strangely that would increase power to 200-215bhp, yet adding Skoda's only decal kit to my citigo adds a whooping £150.00!!!

 

So based on that, decals must add in the region of 180bhp extra power to the citigo!! Infact the citigo costs more than the Octavia to insure!

:D

Everyone knows a Citigo with stripes is a veyron killer

As you've probably found out each insurance company deal with mods differently. When I was considering a remap before my insurance was due I found Admiral the cheapest, followed by esure but that was only for a small power increase. LV on the other hand just had a flat increase of £50 and didn't want to know how much extra power the remap gave so you could try those 3 and see how you get on if you've not already had quotes from them.

What I don't understand is, a remap is a mod that a large proportion of Mk1 Fabias (and other diesels) have gone through... So. lets say, you'r a 55 year old woman who happens to buy a mapped furby. You know non the wiser because it wasn't advertised as "mapped". You go to insure the car and the insurer asks you, "has the car had any modifications" and you answer no, as you would...

 

2 months later you have a crash and your car is checked. it's found out to be "mapped". This therefore on paper means you are not insured  How many people must this happen to, or are they really that strict? I say this because alot of people buying older diesels will not know that there car is mapped if they haven't driven a standard edition previously, heck most people wouldn't realise even if they did drive a standard version of a mapped car on a brief test drive.

Insurers can only now void a policy if you knowingly and willfully tried to deceive them. For innocent errors they would simply adjust the premium to reflect the increase they would have required had they known about it.