Read our guide about finding low cost insurance
for modified cars
Obtaining modified car insurance is a lot simpler
than it seems. If you’re having a nightmare of an experience you’re
probably starting in the wrong place. There are small and medium sized
insurance companies that understand this specialised market and will
often provide very competitive quotes for modified cars and equally
focused brokers that are often run by enthusiasts who can find you the best deal.
Why would you modify a car? On one hand you could be one of the increasing
army of enthusiasts that desire to modify your car to reflect your
personality. Improvements such as alloys, lowering or raising the suspension,
body kits, tweaking the engine and fuel system, smooth paint jobs and
interiors all say something about us and what we think of our pride
and joy. On the other hand, you may have an ailment or disability that
means that it’s impossible for you to drive a standard vehicle and
need any one of a vast array of medically modified cars that are available.
For the latter specific insurance is available.
As far as your insurer is concerned any of the above are
modifications to
the standard specification and are risks that need to be assessed in
order to reach an individual car insurance premium. The reason is clear if you consider
the consequences that modifications can have on the performance, handling,
safety or security of a vehicle. If you change the wheels, tyres, or
lower the suspension you have modified the wheel geometry, loading
and braking characteristics and handling qualities. If you’ve tweaked
the engine you are altering the acceleration and hence the dynamic
statistics that the insurer calculated their risk against. If you have
an amazing paint job done, you are increasing your car’s visibility
and if left on the road, the possibility of it being damaged or stolen.
All of these are likely to raise your premium with non-specialist insurers,
if they will quote at all!
The reverse is true with those companies that often provide insurance
for modified
cars because they realise that the true modified car enthusiast is
a special breed of owner that is worthy of encouragement. They recognise
that people, who spend many hundreds of hours and often thousands of
pounds improving their vehicles, nurturing them to peaks of appearance
and potential performance, are likely to be extremely careful when
storing, parking and driving their vehicular masterpiece. A true enthusiast-modified
car is likely to be tucked-up in a garage overnight and probably over
winter. It is likely to be driven for a limited amount of miles each
year and although it may technically capable of 160 mph it will never
be driven in a way to risk damaging such a valuable possession. And
finally, by their very nature they are unlikely to be stolen on the
road because they are so individual.
So if you are able to negotiate over the annual mileage and confirm
that your vehicle will be securely garaged at all times when it
isn’t being driven, you may be looking at a very reasonable modified
car insurance premium.
That doesn’t mean that if you’re eighteen and drive a hot-hatch with
alloys and bling hanging from the mirror you can expect quite the same
considerate approach. All insurance companies have to cover their risks
and can spot a boy-racer a mile off. There are however, specialists
for this market too.
Get a quote for Insurance
For Modified Cars.
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