Lowering Your Car And Insurance Attitude!

[sTuDeNt]

Hi Guys!

Food for thoughts :roll:

Well, this is something to think of really. I have called Norwich Union last night to find out how much would they charge me for lowering my car by 40mm. They told me its going to be 40 pounds extra a year.
Well, lets all look at this this way.
This modification makes no difference to the top speed, neither acceleration neither power. Right? Ok what does it actually do? Apart from amking it less comfortable and more stable, not much. So what insurance company do is.... freaking charge for making your car worse (for average driver). Isnt it so? Now why the hell do we have to pay for making it less good than its already is? Isnt it a bit unfair? Ok fine, thats how they are, what will mr ombudsman say to this then? It looks to me like its very unfair deal and they have no really rights to chrge us for it. The same thing is with Air Filter. Ok it might improve response but by how much? Not much to charge rediculous sum!
What do you guys think about it?

I am quite annoyed at it. Some insurance companies even say that after replacing suspension they will not cover the car if the accident due to suspension! I mean WTF!? :o Thats something that fair trade will love, dont you think!? And anyway how the hell can they get away with it!?

[Rach]

i never really got the whole uprated suspension = higher premium...

however, some insurance companies do the correct thing and lower the insurance if you lower your car as it improves the handling and is seen as a safety feature

[dunova]

My first car was insured third party only and they wanted to charge we extra for working part time at a hotel because hotel car parks are aparently dodgy!I couldn't even claim if something DID happen ffs!!!!

[MattNova]

ive got to say that i think ive got probs one of the best insurance companies when it comes to modds (not engine). they dont charge for anything that makes the car look nicer as far as engine mods go, im not sure as i haven done any yet...but i know that the following definatly dont get charged for;

K&N
bodykit
alloys
brakes
suspension
exhaust

so overall i dont think that they are to bad.

btw the company is Liverpool Insurance (and if any of you was to want the number pm me)

[dunova]

My company wanted about ?100 for 17" alloys and a bodykit and apparently charge more for engine mods :(
I enquired about t40's and they said they would have to phone weber for details of performance increases. I HATE insurance companies :evil:

[Coddy]

they see it as young people driving novas, especially modified novas are a danger to society or something because we are most likely to race and wrap our cars round lamp posts or children so we have to pay over the odds, thats just the way it is. an insurnace compnay will only ever love you if you have a small engined, standard car that has a cat1 alarm and is chained to the floor in a fully locked garage!

[MattNova]

they see it as young people driving novas, especially modified novas are a danger to society or something because we are most likely to race and wrap our cars round lamp posts or children so we have to pay over the odds, thats just the way it is. an insurnace compnay will only ever love you if you have a small engined, standard car that has a cat1 alarm and is chained to the floor in a fully locked garage!


^^^^LMFAO :lol: :D :lol:

[sTuDeNt]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :twisted:

[HEVY-nova]

Lowering your car is effectively a performance enhanching modification as the lower centre of gravity and presuamably stiffer springs allow you to take corners faster.

It also increased the likelihood of damage to the underside of the car, as well as bumpers etc. when going over speed humps, kerbs etc.

Finally a lowered car is a more desirable car in the eyes of Mr insurance company as they figure that it will be a more attractive object to your average chav scum twocer.

So to be fair the ?40 hike in your premium is justified

[epo]

one of my mates had this problem with his punto
he gave the car to his gf and when it came to swappin insurance over he said to the woman
"it still got all the body kit 17's and the lowered suspension you insured it with"

the woman said " we have a problem there we dont insure lowered cars and never have"

so after much argueing he had to revert back to standard suspension

[Mel]

i was gunna say what HEVY-nova said.

it affects the handling of the car, so insurance companies are justfied (in their eyes) in charging extra for it..

?40 is a good deal, cause i was gunna be charged well over ?200 for 15" vaux astra alloys and lowered suspension on my 1.2 :o

[Matt2107]

lowering your car means you can fling it round corners/round abouts a lot quicker therefore your likely to drive faster.

Pay the ?40, if you are paying monthly its only ?3.33 spread over the whole year

[Philsutton]

thing is if it makes the car handle better then there is less chance of me taking out small children on a corner, whereas if i did the same in my old suspension then death would have been certain. Same with brakes if you fit bigger brakes they charge you more but you can stop in a shorter distance therefore being safer to drive but no they need there money.

[MattNova]

yes but they see it as...if he needs bigger breaks, he must be driving faster

[nam]

its to do with what they have to pa out for IF your car was robed as well, its all moremoney for them to pay out in the end so you pay to cover that.

nam

[Matt Nova]

?40 is not bad for the uprated insurance

my mate drives a 1.4 focus and payed a whopping ?500 for a 50mm drop on adjustable shocks ?500 for fucks sake.

My induction kit has been ok'd as it was for "sound purposes only" lol

[sTuDeNt]

Well, from what I can see this is Insurance companies making their own ways of getting money of us!
Well, come on, it doesnt take much of the brain power to work out! If you done none mods to the engine and lets say you put all round disk conversion on 1.0 nova, then how the hell they think that you must be driving faster or whatever? WTF!? All I can say really!
Yes, ?40 its not that bad but! Attitude what counts! Why should I pay for making my car safer? OK I do want to do all round brake disk conversion. So lets see! Lowering 40mm plus disk brakes with the only mod K&N air filter? FCUK ME! Whats the percentage that this car will have an accident compare to others!? Yes it may be attractive to freaking pikes! But I will stand next to it with the big shot gun waiting! :twisted:
I mean honestly guys! Dont you think they are just out f any order!? The worst thing is that we can not do anything about it! Oh yeah, dont you think cheaper car insurance for women is a bit descrimination! So as after 50 years old! Dont get me wrong I do not have any problems with girls driving, but what I do have problem with is the descrimination bit!
Bloody hell, some 50 year old drivers should not be allowed on the road at all. The thing is that the average speed of the 'old' driver about 15 in 30 mile zone, yeah it is safe, but it will wind others up so much that they will try to overtake and bang.... accident!
Look, i am not having a go at any driver group, but I do have problems with insurance companies and it is sore...... :cry:

[HEVY-nova]

Mate we all have to pay excessivly high insurance when were young but theres a good reason for it. Theres no point moaning about it, because nothing is going to change that.

Women get cheaper insurance because they are statistically less likely to have an accident which that insurance company will have to fork out for...that is a FACT, there is no discrimination, just statistics.

Older drivers whether you like it or not are FAR more experienced than the likes of you, hence safer and less likely to run someone over. Although Ill agree that after a certain age this becomes less true.

If you are going to mod your car you are going to have to pay the price unless you find a company who don't mind mods. In general though, you cant have your pie and eat it.

[HEVY-nova]

ps. I do know that its cake not pie

[sTuDeNt]

True!

Well, i am not excetly youg driver and do have some experience but its just anoying!

I still think cheaper car insurance for girls is discrimination! :twisted:

[Philsutton]

Oh yeah, dont you think cheaper car insurance for women is a bit descrimination! So as after 50 years old
especially as they cause the crashes by going too slow. Only the other week i was doing 60 down a country lane nothing wrong there, came round the corner an theres a old women doing 7mph. Good thing i have good brakes other wise i would have hit her and it would have been my fault

[sTuDeNt]

See! Thats what I mean!
I was driving on a country lane today and the speed limit was 50 there was this woman she was doing 40 the moment we entered the town and speed limit went to 40 she decided to do 50! WTF!? How safe is this!?

[Dan]

Uprating components on a car may be classed as safe but as others have said it is still enhancing certain aspects of that particular model. If you uprate the suspension that car can then handle better/corner faster meaning your rate of pace in said car is increased compared to the model in standard trim. Even uprating brakes means you can leave braking till later instead of reducing speed earlier in a sensible fashion, again enhancing the car. These are not just engine statistics, the 'car' is uprated and can perform to a higher level regardless of method used again compared to the standard item that left the forecourt.

We've all paid the high costs along the way until reaching an age that it becomes cheaper, i've never whinged about costs because i cant do nothing about it, just gotta accept it as i choose to do what i do to my cars knowing the consequences. Now i'm at the age where i can do what i like when i like and enjoy the cheaper side of things

Just outta curiousity how old are you?

[benji]

not as old as you :D