Help! - Nitrons and Insurance
Discussion
Guys - has anyone had trouble insuring their car after fitting Nitron suspension? I've just had the underwriter refuse to cover the car with the kit on!They are complaining that the car could be lowered and are also worried that the kit is expensive and will obviously sting them if it needs to be replaced in event of a crash. This is all laughable in my opinion. They cover track days without any problem. The broker is a big TVR insurer and they too are frankly astonished.
Any details of who you guys are using to cover your Nitron equipped cars would be greatly received.
Cheers
Washy
Any details of who you guys are using to cover your Nitron equipped cars would be greatly received.
Cheers
Washy
I've had no problems with Privilege. The ride height thing is absurd. Virtually all aftermarket shocks are adjustable, because otherwise they have to make a set specific to each type of car. IMO this is not reasonable grounds to decline cover. Similarly, although Nitrons are relatively expensive, so are the OE dampers. In any case there are lots and lots of other things that you could spend serious money on, such as ICE and posh wheels. These sound like excuses rather than genuine reasons. Is there some other reason they don't want to insure TVRs in general or you in particular?
GreenV8S - No reason why they wouldn't wany to insure me. I'm on my 3rd Cerbera, have a clean license and maximum no claims. The car is otherwise standard.
I've checked the cost of OE springs and dampers and they come out almost exactly the same price as Nitron.
Ironically the broker has clients on Nitrons already although they've not yet made that known to the insurer as the lines had closed by then! I'm hoping it's just a daft underwriter and the broker will get to speak to someone sensible tomorrow morning. They have no case to refuse cover at all IMHO. There are folk out there who have all sorts of mods and seem to get insured OK.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Washy
I've checked the cost of OE springs and dampers and they come out almost exactly the same price as Nitron.
Ironically the broker has clients on Nitrons already although they've not yet made that known to the insurer as the lines had closed by then! I'm hoping it's just a daft underwriter and the broker will get to speak to someone sensible tomorrow morning. They have no case to refuse cover at all IMHO. There are folk out there who have all sorts of mods and seem to get insured OK.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Washy
To be honest I haven't told my insurance company as I didn't think I would need to. If you replace a standard car's suspension with non-OE stuff it's not an issue. As far as I am concerned my car needed new dampers (so it was not an "upgrade decision) and the Nitrons are cheaper than the OE ones for my Griff. Plus they nolonger make the ones that were standard on the 4.3 so they would have been different anyway.
I'll check with my brokers tomorrow to see if I need to inform them.
I'll check with my brokers tomorrow to see if I need to inform them.
Nitrons offer additional functionality so are classed as a modification. If in doubt tell them. If you don't then you have just given the insurers a big reason for not paying out. BTW TVR insurers got pasted last year which is why premiums have gone up, some owners are not getting cover and modified cars are being looked at extremely closely... before being turned down!
Hi Neil,
I had a similar issue a few years back when I had Ohlins suspension fitted to my Griff. The TVRCC insurers added 10 or 20% (can't remember which - sorry, had a few drinks as it's my birthday) to the premium just because the suspension was adjustable. I don't think it was due to the replacement cost of the Ohlins (a little bit more than Nitrons
) but because the ride height could be lowered with resultant claims for damage due to speed bumps etc.
For what it's worth my advice is that you should notify your insurer of any modifications to your car even if it results in a higher premium. If you don't like the hike in costs, shop around.
I see from your profile that you are in Cambs which is also my region. Although I will miss the next Cambridge TVRCC meet (doing a bit of diving in warm high vis water for a change) I would be happy to chat about the subject at a following meet.
Regards
Mike
I had a similar issue a few years back when I had Ohlins suspension fitted to my Griff. The TVRCC insurers added 10 or 20% (can't remember which - sorry, had a few drinks as it's my birthday) to the premium just because the suspension was adjustable. I don't think it was due to the replacement cost of the Ohlins (a little bit more than Nitrons
) but because the ride height could be lowered with resultant claims for damage due to speed bumps etc. For what it's worth my advice is that you should notify your insurer of any modifications to your car even if it results in a higher premium. If you don't like the hike in costs, shop around.
I see from your profile that you are in Cambs which is also my region. Although I will miss the next Cambridge TVRCC meet (doing a bit of diving in warm high vis water for a change) I would be happy to chat about the subject at a following meet.
Regards
Mike
Thats strange - I am with mannings at the moment and the 'sales person' involved on mine took the risk on (i.e. me as a customer) under the declared knowledge that the car has uprated brakes and suspension... in fact not go-faster mods, but ones that make it handle better and stop on a stamp....
No change the premium.... I wonder if this might be a case that the 'sales person' involved just overlooked this and didnt put it on the quote system.....
Slightly worried now....
No change the premium.... I wonder if this might be a case that the 'sales person' involved just overlooked this and didnt put it on the quote system.....
Slightly worried now....
Oh, and forgot - the official line for almost all insurers are as follows:
Any modification in which the manufacturers standard specification is changed is considered a modification and can affect the insurance premium (hence declared). This goes for wheels, brakes, body kits and ICE as well as performance tuning etc...
Strangley, rebuilding the car with manufacturer parts is considered to NOT be a modification and hence not a problem.....
You need to report ALL changes that you have made to a car to the insurance company. Failure to do so means that they MAY not payout if you need to claim....
Cheers,
Paul
Any modification in which the manufacturers standard specification is changed is considered a modification and can affect the insurance premium (hence declared). This goes for wheels, brakes, body kits and ICE as well as performance tuning etc...
Strangley, rebuilding the car with manufacturer parts is considered to NOT be a modification and hence not a problem.....
You need to report ALL changes that you have made to a car to the insurance company. Failure to do so means that they MAY not payout if you need to claim....
Cheers,
Paul
GreenV8S said:
premiums have gone up, some owners are not getting cover and modified cars are being looked at extremely closely... before being turned down!
Is anyone else having this sort of problem, then?
Seems a lot of people are mentioning massive hikes in premiums recently...
It's not looking good! The insurers are refusing to budge. Interestingly another insurer has no problem with suspension mods at all but doesn't like covering track days. I could end up having to cancel and go elsewhere loosing a truck load of cash on the way. I'm astonished that a sensible mod to the cars handling and stability is causing such a storm!
Loads of you guys out there seem to be Nitron equipped or similiar. Where are you getting cover or are folk just not declaring it?!
Washy
Loads of you guys out there seem to be Nitron equipped or similiar. Where are you getting cover or are folk just not declaring it?!
Washy
GreenV8S said:
premiums have gone up, some owners are not getting cover and modified cars are being looked at extremely closely... before being turned down!
Is anyone else having this sort of problem, then?
The premium on a slightly modified 520 has just about doubled.... Most others are going into apopolexy when I start listing the mods...
Fitting Nitron to my Tuscan last December made no difference to my insurance either with Highway (Peart) or NU (A1) and I don't really understand why it should if any thing they should give a discount for making the car safer never mind having it refused.Although recently I was told that NU will only cover trackdays in the UK & none on the continent & new policys or renewals will only be covered by additional premium for the day so it seems that there is a general tightening up on policys with regard to TVR's.
Nick
Nick
GreenV8S said:
I've had no problems with Privilege. The ride height thing is absurd. Virtually all aftermarket shocks are adjustable, because otherwise they have to make a set specific to each type of car. IMO this is not reasonable grounds to decline cover. Similarly, although Nitrons are relatively expensive, so are the OE dampers. In any case there are lots and lots of other things that you could spend serious money on, such as ICE and posh wheels. These sound like excuses rather than genuine reasons. Is there some other reason they don't want to insure TVRs in general or you in particular?
Aren't the standard shocks right-hight adjustable? I'm sure the ones on my Tuscan are.
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