insurance for "modified" cars????

[v8falconsrule]

the big day has finally come.....my wife and i finally got our rims on- 18" xhp scorch on my au and the wifes 2001 beetle yaaaaaaa! :

then we thought we'd do the right thing and notify the insurance company- who we won't name- and they told us that because they weren't factory, ie tickford wheels, they couldn't insure us! : even though the rims are 100% legal and the vehicles are otherwise standard the wheels make them un-insurable......because, and this is what they actually said- "sometimes when people get bigger wheels they go around corners faster, you know like hoons." coz like hoons don't ride on standard steel or alloy rims???? :

needless to say we will be looking for a new insurer very soon :

[MYLO_XR6]

at least your not a probation driver! some of us cop it HARD! :(

[Sorted]

Bigger Wheels - Higher Theft Risk

Some insurer's dont want to insure a high risk

Thats it plain and simple.

Same as they wont issue new cover on a house that is in the path of an on-coming bush fire......

[Aeron]

Best thing to do is to call them up before you get the mods done to make sure its ok. Thats what I did. Just called up Shannons and said, "Im thinking about doing this, this and this", and they said its all ok. That way you dont find yourself in a situation like you are in now.

[v8falconsrule]

ordinarilly i would have......but seriously because of non factory rims????? at the ford dealership where i work we are always fitting non factory (mostly amg or rodney jane racing) rims to our used cars. will i have to get permission to change the type of air freshener i use???? heaven forbid should i change my seat covers!

[EFDream]

Thats a quick way to lose a client...My premium didn't change at all when I told them I lowered that car, put aftermarket rims on, and a full exhaust system in.....

[Free347]

Call the insure back again, speak with someone else and see if you get the same response. Surely they've got that wrong.

[EFDream]

Call them back and tell 'em you're leavin!

[v8falconsrule]

i sure will be leavin' some of the blokes at work have put in newer and larger engines, different rims and completely painted their cars, but can still get insurance.. will definently be ringing around the next few days....it's not like the car is supercharged or anything....

[rag top]

As you work at a dealership, why not ring the insurance company and say the rims were "fitted by a dealer" or "fitted through a dealership"!!!

[v8falconsrule]

i thought of that but the boss is away for a feew weeks and i only have a week to find another insurer. it's probably not going to be a major issue, but its a right pain in the a$$, especially as we never made a claim with the old company in the 5 or so years that we've been with them, also we insure the house and contents with them, it is just really annoying to be labeled as hoons, coz we got rims put on

[OLDFORDNUT]

ring them and tell them you are taking all your insurance to another company and will be telling all your friends and family to do likewise,.

[pauljh74]

AAMI let you make as many legal mods as you like if you are over 30. There would be a few who will insure you, and more that won't

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by v8falconsrule

because, and this is what they actually said- "sometimes when people get bigger wheels they go around corners faster, you know like hoons."

This is why I have standard wheels on my car.
If I put wider ones on I'd just go crazy and become an instant HOON :hihi:

[XRchic]

That sounds very dodgy. I had a similar experience with an insurance company who are known to be very conservative with cars and drivers (as opposed to houses etc). They like to insure unmodded, white, auto Camrys driven by 50 year olds with hats on the rear parcel shelf. Their name begins with A. And its not AAMI.

It could be a mistake.

[Sorted]

People People People you still dont get it do you?

Obvioulsy you have insured your car with a company based on premium not on the policy.

Now you are only crying because they dont want to insure you anymore with your modified car and its going to cost you more.

You cant have both a "Cheap Premium" and a "Modified Car"

And you can NEVER compare what you are paying with some one else's insurance policy as there are so many different variables.

For example i know of a 2006 BF GT Financed 25 year old driver who pays $495

Now how does he get that premium - well its a car on a fleet of 100 other cars - can you see the difference?

[Jeeepers]

Modified? Then forget normal insurers. The only piece of mind is with companies like Shannons or Just Cars. But you have to pay for the privellege. As long as the mod is legal, it's covered.

[EBII Fairmont]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

AAMI let you make as many legal mods as you like if you are over 30. There would be a few who will insure you, and more that won't

Yeah, but AAMI don't fill in on their end of the bargain. I get hit by someone else and quite clearly the other parties fault, but AAMI refuse to help us in any way due to pensioners being a part of AAMI. AAMI are scum. Are there any insurance companies which fly solo, so they don't own another insurance company?

[alesia]

look in to "Just Cars" i havent had a problem with them so far .... so if all you have are rims there shouldnt be a problem considering ive got listed :Exhaust, extractors, cam, and 18inch rims

[muppet]

I just got my xb coupe insured with shannons. The guy said has it got a standard engine I said no it has a whole pile of work done to it(and it has 16 inch rims). The premium only went up $100 which is pretty good I think considering I rang aami and they could not even find an xb coupe on their books. Just shop around surely just putting a set of rims on youre car cant be all that much hasstle. But as someone else said expect to pay more if you have a modified car even if it is just the wheels

[Free347]

Originally Posted by pauljh74

AAMI let you make as many legal mods as you like if you are over 30. There would be a few who will insure you, and more that won't

I approached AAMI 3 times about this and each time I was told a maximum of 3 legal modifications only... more than 3 and they wouldn't insure me.

[Ultimate]

I with RACQ they had no problem with larger rims.

Jeff

[XR-ENVI]

some aftermarket rims may be a too many inches bigger than standard. some may be the same size and thats why they wont affect insurance. WE have 19's on our car and that was ok with insurance as they can come with factory optioned 18's so it was only 1 inch bigger at the time. But now we have done the right thing for us and insured the car for everything with Just cars and the only thing that couldnt be insured was the airbrushing, but thats ok for us as most of it removable so only gets put on for the shows. Just cars was actually cheaper then the other company we were with and this company was not insuring all the mods only rims and exhaust, as soon as we did the engine/ transmission mods they wouldnt insure it, which is totally uunderstandable . so we changed

change insurance companies to ensure your car is insured correctly if your current one will not insure the rims.
We also have a ef XR6 Wagon and a couple of insurance companies wouldnt ensure it believe it our not, 1 because it was considered a "sports sedan" and another because it has a sports exhaust fitted to it!~!!

[Outbackjack]

How do the wee boys in their rice burners get on with insurance?? Anybody know??

[XR-ENVI]

Mum and dad Perhaps?>?

[brenx]

Insurance is always a headache. Good luck with it. I've got a particular company still wanting me to renew with them. The policies expired 3mths ago or so yet they're sending me letters to renew. Bugger that they are $300 dearer for my EL and $200 dearer for my Madza!

Shannons are well priced for modded cars. I took my XB and EL and gave Shannons my business. Shannons couldn't help with the Madza. Policy was $100 dearer.

[Lightning Strike GT]

Originally Posted by v8falconsrule

the big day has finally come.....my wife and i finally got our rims on- 18" xhp scorch on my au and the wifes 2001 beetle yaaaaaaa! :

then we thought we'd do the right thing and notify the insurance company- who we won't name- and they told us that because they weren't factory, ie tickford wheels, they couldn't insure us! : even though the rims are 100% legal and the vehicles are otherwise standard the wheels make them un-insurable......because, and this is what they actually said- "sometimes when people get bigger wheels they go around corners faster, you know like hoons." coz like hoons don't ride on standard steel or alloy rims???? :

needless to say we will be looking for a new insurer very soon :

Let me gaze into my crystal balls it was either BUDGET DIRECT or BUDGET DIRECT
I had the XR with BD and changed 1 thing it was not illegal and it was sanctioned by FORD who I bought them off and I put it on and they wiped me like a dirty bum saying tha car was not standard anymore.

[Rev28K]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

How do the wee boys in their rice burners get on with insurance?? Anybody know??

Insured through Shannons. I had to insure it as a modified car as I fit slightly larger wheels on the increasingly rare times that I go out on a circuit.

Springs, shocks and swaybars caused it to become a “medium level of modification”. Hate to hear what they claim a wildly modified car is....

[Mark351]

Shannons have a modified car policy that allows any number of legal modifications.

[The Yeti]

While we're on the insurance for modified cars thing, does any one know if Vigial or Shannons etc do like a 3rd party property for rods etc I assume they do but, do they???