Best insurance for modified cars UK?

[deardevildude]

Im also curious about this, my current admiral policy let me cover the basics such as my alloys. But im looking at another car from a friend with quite a few mods. I tried Adrian Flux last year with my current car and its alloys but they wouldnt insure me at all (i was 21 years old and had my license 2 years and 2 years NCD).

Im not sure I want to go with Adrian Flux as a few people I know just seem to get fobbed off by em. I was looking at Brentacre, Greenlight or Sky. Once its up for renewal and I have the car ill be 22 with 3 years on license and 3 years NCD.

Whats people experiences with the other 3 been like? (The car is fairly heavily modded)

 

[Shadowness]

Am I right in thinking that it's logical that when you ring around trying to find a better price (than the automated renewal), you shouldn't really tell them what you have been offered by your current insurer?
I know they always ask this, and I never really want to say.

With Admiral at the moment, and I'm going to have to do the rounds with the more 'specialist' insurers.

 

[deardevildude]

Am I right in thinking that it's logical that when you ring around trying to find a better price (than the automated renewal), you shouldn't really tell them what you have been offered by your current insurer?
I know they always ask this, and I never really want to say.

With Admiral at the moment, and I'm going to have to do the rounds with the more 'specialist' insurers.

Well Im pretty sure its okay, because they can price match. I dont think they need much more information than "*Company X* has quoted me *This price*, can you match this?"

Ive never had a insurance company ask for proof of a price match.

 

[Shadowness]

It's not really the proof. It's more if I say "can you match £500 (for example)?"

And if I didn't tell them that, they might have quoted me £400 (for example).

But if they know I've already been offered £500, they could offer me £490 or so. They get £90 more out of me when otherwise they wouldn't have known.

If that makes sense!

 

[deardevildude]

It's not really the proof. It's more if I say "can you match £500 (for example)?"

And if I didn't tell them that, they might have quoted me £400 (for example).

But if they know I've already been offered £500, they could offer me £490 or so. They get £90 more out of me when otherwise they wouldn't have known.

If that makes sense!

I get ya, well ask for the normal quote as you would. Then say if they quote you £560, but the other place has £500 you could then ask after that.

But if they give you a lower price from the start, its a win-win.

 

[SonicSW20]

Im also curious about this, my current admiral policy let me cover the basics such as my alloys. But im looking at another car from a friend with quite a few mods. I tried Adrian Flux last year with my current car and its alloys but they wouldnt insure me at all (i was 21 years old and had my license 2 years and 2 years NCD)

Check your policy wording. While you declare modifications with Admiral for the purposes of calculating risk (some modifications = more like car gets stolen or will be involved in an accident), their policy wording specifically states that modifications are not covered, and in the event of an accident will only be replaced with OEM spec replacements where appropriate.

Do not use Admiral for any modified vehicle of value.

 

[deardevildude]

Check your policy wording. While you declare modifications with Admiral for the purposes of calculating risk (some modifications = more like car gets stolen or will be involved in an accident), their policy wording specifically states that modifications are not covered, and in the event of an accident will only be replaced with OEM spec replacements where appropriate.

Do not use Admiral for any modified vehicle of value.

Well luckily my policy ends in a couple months, and due to lockdown I barely drive the thing at the min as I work from home.

Its on there for piece of mind (dont fancy getting bummed if I get pulled over), and they arent expensive alloys either. Probably only worth about £200 if that. But this car wont be used as im changing it to a project car when my insurance is over as im buying a car from a friend. And this will be the first time ive gone to go with a "specialist" insurer.

Ive seen Sterling as an insurer for modified cars but no idea if theyre any good.

 

[bainbridge]

LV are reasonable with the premium with mods but I'm old.

 

[adam cool dude]

I have been with Greenlight for the past 5 years now. It is just easy to insure with the amount of mods that I have.

 

[DereksDontRun]

Check your policy wording. While you declare modifications with Admiral for the purposes of calculating risk (some modifications = more like car gets stolen or will be involved in an accident), their policy wording specifically states that modifications are not covered, and in the event of an accident will only be replaced with OEM spec replacements where appropriate.

Do not use Admiral for any modified vehicle of value.

possibly worse than that - last time I checked Admiral's small print, they state that factory fitted options are also "mods" to them, so you not only have to flag the car as "modded" but also list all the options. (presumably allowing them to either void the insurance or only pay out for the poverty spec version of the car, in a large claim).

For modded cars, I've always bounced quotes from Sky Insurance against Adrian Flux, but after have a claim through Flux, I'm off wanting to go near them again. I've always asked for protect no-claims, but when I made my claim (car stolen, so not even my driving fault), it transpired they didn't add it to my policy, so I went from 12 years no-claim to 2... Which I was less than happy with (even though I know the no-claims bonus tends to stop after 5 or 6 years). When I tried to look into it, I remember asking for the protected no claims when I got the 1st quote, but when I went back to them to price match, I didn't re-specify it, so the guy took it off the policy to make the lower price easier. (and because i didn't re-specify and this was a different person, then he didn't realise i wanted it... grr...). I know the response to this is to read the policy wording - but they never sent me a physical copy of the policy. It was all uploaded to their customer portal that I was never able to login to, (despite clicking the reset/forgotten password button I never got an email to my address) - so, I left it and never saw the policy until I needed to make the claim. egg on face, but also a bit annoyed at their service.

 

[deardevildude]

possibly worse than that - last time I checked Admiral's small print, they state that factory fitted options are also "mods" to them, so you not only have to flag the car as "modded" but also list all the options. (presumably allowing them to either void the insurance or only pay out for the poverty spec version of the car, in a large claim).

For modded cars, I've always bounced quotes from Sky Insurance against Adrian Flux, but after have a claim through Flux, I'm off wanting to go near them again. I've always asked for protect no-claims, but when I made my claim (car stolen, so not even my driving fault), it transpired they didn't add it to my policy, so I went from 12 years no-claim to 2... Which I was less than happy with (even though I know the no-claims bonus tends to stop after 5 or 6 years). When I tried to look into it, I remember asking for the protected no claims when I got the 1st quote, but when I went back to them to price match, I didn't re-specify it, so the guy took it off the policy to make the lower price easier. (and because i didn't re-specify and this was a different person, then he didn't realise i wanted it... grr...). I know the response to this is to read the policy wording - but they never sent me a physical copy of the policy. It was all uploaded to their customer portal that I was never able to login to, (despite clicking the reset/forgotten password button I never got an email to my address) - so, I left it and never saw the policy until I needed to make the claim. egg on face, but also a bit annoyed at their service.

Flux just seem to be so awkward to get a quote from and actually being worth while. They quoted me £1k TPFT on my car with my alloys, where Admirial quoted me £510 fully comp....

And the year before that when it was standard, and despite them offering standard insurance they wouldnt even insure me full stop. This has just put me off full stop, as far as im concerned theyre not even an option to consider anymore. I might just get a quote from all the others when it comes to it and see whos best price.

 

[The Running Man]

Put normal wheels on save money and improve your ride/acceleration.

Win win?

 

[SonicSW20]

possibly worse than that - last time I checked Admiral's small print, they state that factory fitted options are also "mods" to them, so you not only have to flag the car as "modded" but also list all the options. (presumably allowing them to either void the insurance or only pay out for the poverty spec version of the car, in a large claim).

Indeed, they're only covered if they are declared and Admiral specifically agree to cover them.

 

[SonicSW20]

Put normal wheels on save money and improve your ride/acceleration.

Win win?

My aftermarket wheels are lighter than OEM and allow for the fitment of far superior tyres with more flexibility on sizing, so no thanks

 

[shauncr91]

I've always been happy with Greenlight, used them for my modified cars for the last 5-6 years. They understand what you're talking about when telling them your modifications as they are into cars themselves, always easy adding a modification too it's never more than a 5 minute phone call, no admin charges or anything.

 

[deardevildude]

I've always been happy with Greenlight, used them for my modified cars for the last 5-6 years. They understand what you're talking about when telling them your modifications as they are into cars themselves, always easy adding a modification too it's never more than a 5 minute phone call, no admin charges or anything.

My mate is with Greenlight and says hes never had a single issue with them. His MR2 got wrote off start of last year and they had a courtesy car to him within 2 days, guy who came out to do the appraisal on his car was really friendly and they paid the money to him within 2 weeks of the accident. So they are the ones im leaning towards currently.

 

[The Running Man]

My aftermarket wheels are lighter than OEM and allow for the fitment of far superior tyres with more flexibility on sizing, so no thanks

You fitting 20" rims?

 

[SonicSW20]

You fitting 20" rims?

Nope.

 

[theone8181]

Indeed, they're only covered if they are declared and Admiral specifically agree to cover them.

That's a joke imo. How a car comes out the factory should be classed as standard (including optional extras).

 

[SonicSW20]

That's a joke imo. How a car comes out the factory should be classed as standard (including optional extras).

It shows the importance of selecting the correct insurance for your car, not whatever the cheapest result was on Compare The Market and then don't bother reading the policy booklet. I can insure my significantly modified MR2 Turbo for about 30% cheaper with another insurer, but that policy really won't be suitable for the car.

Insurer can't really know if a car has options on it that increase value by a significant percentage from vehicle registration number alone. They also can't know from vehicle registration number if the car has dealer fitted options.

I bet other "standard" insurers have a similar policy to this too.