Non standard alloys and insurance

[Mental Micky]

Hi all,

My juices are flowing a bit about alloys now and just wondering what experience people have with the insurance companies and after market alloys and also if there are any companies out there treating our beloved cars as classics yet and therefore cheaper insurance.

Cheers,

Mick

[scottravenhill]

If required to comment I would say. 'it was like it when I bought it, its standard'

[weetec]

well.....id declare the lot.....not worth losing out. with all this camera technology about these days. lets face it....had you known where you were about to crash or maybe when your car was stolen would you be concerned?...stay safe and tell them. my vti-s alloys are optional according to my insurance. dont make a difference if they were 18" alloys now that iv declared it. for the value of the car as long as iv told them it dont matter.

[Didjeridave]

Yeah, declare it, some insurance companies can often try to find any reason they can to get out of a claim & in my experience it's not necessarily only the well-known ones that act fairly. If the worst happens (& it will to someone somewhere) you could be liable without insurance cover & then have an additional IN-- charge facing you. The odd thing can probably be got away with; such as 'someone I know' with a Picasso with different citroen alloys from another citroen - they're the same size & manufacturer-fitted but a different style & the car came with alloys as standard; it's unlikely an insurace assessor has an encyclopaedic knowledge of every style alloys fitted to every car in history, but you never know, he might really like his job!

I'd also say it's probably difficult to tell if some parts had been replaced with aftermarket; i.e. fitting shock springs that are black & give very little lowering, standard-looking bushings such as Hardrace rubber etc. & it's also unlikely that they'd ever open up an engine to check for overbore cylinders etc. etc. but that's a risk that you have to weigh up yourself!

Anyway, for your point of aftermarket alloys, it's a definite declare it & I've found the difference to range from near-nothing to refusal of insurance! I'd expect to pay something like 10% extra from the quotes I've had in the past.

[Mental Micky]

Thank's to all for your thoughts and advice on this, I always declare for the reasons mentioned, should the worst happen they will welch if there is the slightest excuse.

[Sky Insurance]

If required to comment I would say. 'it was like it when I bought it, its standard'

That would be a wee bit silly, more so as most specialist insurers would not charge any extra for them being fitted.

Ollie

Sky Insurance

[ryan..]

as has been said. ANYTHING you add, declare it. I declrared my accord alloys on my vti-s even though they are the same wheels just 1" bigger

[shebabby]

some places will add some mods without charge .

i was with swiftcover last and they coverd me for up to £1000 alloys £500 stainless exhaust and £500 in car entertainment

and all this was free with my policy

best thing to do is ask about upgrades/mods with your company ?

by the way swiftcover wouldnt insure any spoiler other than factory fitted so as mine is a vti with vtis kit i ended up chainging to another

broker .

[Mental Micky]

Thank's Frozzy, will give swiftcover a try when due for renewal if no joy with current insurers, be a while before i can afford decent rims anyway.

[weetec]

keep your name and car registration well away from forums. with insurers browsing forums these days i can bet some one out there has had a picture with a go faster stripe on their car and had an accident with the insurer using the forum as evidence as to prove the car was modified at the time. could possibly open a can of worms.