Insurance policy question about engine swap Fiero

[lacelles]

Well, my car is ready for the road  (when the snow will be gone) but I have some questions about insurance policy.

- Should I get my car appraise? (The car worth more then $3000 now)
- Where/Who can appraise my car properly? (Ottawa region)
- What should I say to my broker? (Should I tell him I did and engine swap)
- Anyone with an engine swap ever had to do a clean?
- What have you told and not told to your insurance broker? (you can PM me )

In the Ottawa Sun of Feb 9 page 37 (on page 46 there is an artical about Fiero) they are talking about insurance problem including engine swap.

Some quote from that Navigating insurance artical (page 37)
-- "So what if you modify you car and simply "forget" to tell your insurance company about it? "If you have a claim they will deny it"

-- "How do insurance companies decide whitch mods are too risky? The following lists explain why you could be declined, or why your rates could go up, DECLINE -- kit cars, replica cars, lowering or raising chassis, oversized tires, suspension modifications, engine modification, exhaust modification"



Please Help!!!!

[dguy]

- Should I get my car appraise? (The car worth more then $3000 now)

I imagine that a professional appraisal will increase the likelyhood of receiving a fair settlement in the event of a theft or write-off due to damage claim.

- Where/Who can appraise my car properly? (Ottawa region)

Yellow pages? 

- What should I say to my broker? (Should I tell him I did and engine swap)

-- "So what if you modify you car and simply "forget" to tell your insurance company about it? "If you have a claim they will deny it"

You just answered your own question. 

Some people are up front, some people aren't.  Given how much money I burn on mandatory insurance, I'll be damned if I try to run below the radar at the risk of not getting anything back from those thieves when I need it most.

You may find BTW, that some insurance companies may refuse to insure a non-stock car.  I know for a fact that once I complete my L67 swap, State Farm will no longer cover me.  YMMV.  Hell I've even heard of some who will refuse to insure motorcycles which have had "too many" aftermarket items added.

- Anyone with an engine swap ever had to do a clean?

IIRC both aaron88 and 2ML67 have had swapped Fieros through smog tests.

- What have you told and not told to your insurance broker? (you can PM me )

None.  I don't screw around with an industry which with the support of the legal system, has me over a barrel with the shaft lubed and waiting on the ground nearby.

[2ML67]

I did a lot of investigating into such things before doing my engine swap. The e-test we get classed as hot rod but still have to pass the standards for the year of the car which is easy considering we are using engines ten years newer and using the full emissions they came with.
As for the ministry of transportation they do not car because it is still a stock GM 6 cylinder engine, they are only concerned with cylinder number changes and after market add ons.
My insurance company's (now take into consideration I have been with the same broker for over 15 years) attidude is that it is still  6 cylinder and the SC is stock GM still bolted to the engine GM put it on so they have no real problem with it. This is the main reason I went 3800SC instead of using the "N" as it is an 8 cylinder and my insurance would have gone through tho roof. My insurance went up slightly once done about the same difference as there would be between a Grand Prix GT and a Grand Prix GTP. The main thing most places are looking for is after market add ons that are not meant for street use you know the products that come with the warning not for street use for racing applications only. Dan

[FieroBUZZ]

My insurance said that when mine is on the road they will not cover it.  I'll have to look around but it is not too hopeful. 

I believe Aaron uses 'silver (or gold) wheels' which is a custom car plan.  There are no mileage restrictions, but the car is supposed to be used for show/pleasure.  That 'technically' means no grocery getting or driving to work. They evidently don't care if you drive to a show in California though. You must have another car insured with you as principle driver. 

Get the appraisal done as you will likely need it due to the age/use of the car.  If they write it off, you're probably better to buy it back and rebuild another from the good bits that survived.

[2ML67]

Thats the part that nails a lot of people my Fiero is a second vehicle I always have another as my principal vehicle to keep attention off my Fiero. Thats also why if the wife had actually gotten her liscence it (luckily she did not) would have meant the end of the Fiero for a few years. Dan

[dguy]

Thats the part that nails a lot of people my Fiero is a second vehicle I always have another as my principal vehicle to keep attention off my Fiero.

Kitten & I have to deal with that, unfortunately.

I've had many conversations with our agent about it, and regardless of what proof I supply that each Fiero sees less annual use than even the motorcycles, all they see is 2 licenced drivers and three cars.  Therefore two of the cars must be branded as "primary".   

I'm guessing that if we had licenced teenager in the house, all three would have to be "primary".


Insurance...  extortion...  the dictionary tells me that each word has a different meaning, but in real life they're surprisingly similar.   

[Arious,Greg]

with respect to the teanager thing .... Yeah it would mean more primary drivers . I have two of them driving now (girls) , and a third dreaming about it (a boy) . when the kids werent driving , my wife and I had two cars plus a van (for family purposes), I then added a fiero . cost less than the van per year, then silly me  got another fiero put that on because ..well I must be stupid ..

anyways the oldest daughter gets her licence, and we have to pick which vehicle she's the designated primary on... so I pick the van  (she isnt happy that its not the fiero).. the cost of insurance on the van goes from 420/year to 1440/year
 (we live in the boonies not the GTA this makes a big difference in our favour.. also I dont get collision.. that way there is no temptation to go through insurance on my part).. to make this affordable we drop the second fiero (wooohhoo...save 380/year) ,  Good excuse to take the car appart and put northstar in it. 
following year the second daughter starts to drive .......which car to assign her to (primary) ..not the fiero (its a 3800) not to mention the wrath of the oldest if we did. so what to do.. put her on My wifes car as primary.. I think not the insurance company says.. each car one driver... untill there are no extra cars... OOhhh BTW the oldest now will now have to pay 2400/year because she hit somebody .... (new interim bill 6300/year ).. gotta do something so we took the other fiero off.. now we have four drivers three cars (two unhappy teenagers) and a car pooling fiasco.
not to mention a yard full of fieros (that everybody wants to drive, but cant) new bill 3700/year. I will be checking into the custom wheels insurance.. as I undestand it   (I have checked but dont actually have the policies in hand to Know-It) the fieros will not be part of the stable for the "primary" drivers with our primary insurance company.. and I will justhave to suffer with the fact that Only "I" will be allowed to drive them  (cost.. quite reasonable ) 

(Maybe here is  silver lining here... I coulda never come up witha better axcuse  to keep them to myself.... NaHH ITS STILL AN INSURANCE RIPOFF.)

(BTW in keeping with the thread.. MY broker tells me I must disclose or my policy will be voided.. they do take cars with mods..but untill I submit the mods they cannot tell how much extra or if they will continue to cover me. I will be getting coverage with a diffrent company before I takle my own company.. can use the whole insurance bundle to entice them into covering me that way I dont mess with existing coverage untill I am sure I can get covered. and re brake-mods FORGET it a regular company doesnt want to hear about them)

[aaron88]

I posted something about this a while ago in some ones thread…
http://www.fierodrivers.com/forum/index.php?topic=2095.0
about half way down.

I went to a guy “grandpas garage” he was good, well priced and made house calls.  He also remembered appraising my friends car like 7 years prior, so his memory is good.  He’s also a nice guy and I like helping out nice guys.

When going modified things get sticky but can also get very cheep.  Good luck.

Aaron

.
PS. forget about letting teenagers drive a modified car, there is no way they will be totally responsible with the privilege, it’s a good way to get someone killed.

[GoFast88]

I hear so much in this province about the insurance industry scams. It seems that everyone that I talk with has some problem one way or another with different companies. Its funny though, I almost never heard of problems when I was in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Why you ask?? Its probably because there is only 1 insurance company and they HAVE TO insure you. Now if you are a maniac driver and total off 3 vehicles in 7 months, you are going to pay BIG time (the fellow was quoted at just over $28,000/year). But if you want and can afford a monster truck/car and can get a mechanic to state that the vehicle is safe (read: safety check) then you are on the road and at the same price. Maybe its time to write a letter to Queens Park?? 

[dguy]

Maybe its time to write a letter to Queens Park?? 

What makes you think that a letter will be effective?  Seriously.

Call me jaded, but I have heard of many organizations which have contacted the Ontario gov't with regards to the financial pressure being imposed by seemingly higher than necessary insurance rates, and even participated in a letter-writing campain on behalf of one of them.

The only response I recall which was something other than political mumbo-jumbo and forgotten promises, was an "investigation" similar to what the feds do when the public complains loudly enough about fuel prices.  Not surprisingly, no fault was found with the insurance industry or its regulatory body.

[lacelles]

Well, I called my broker today, and this is what I have to do.  Right now, my car is insured for $5000, if I want to increase this I must get my car appraised by Leidecquer appraiser.  For the 3800SC engine, like Dan said, there is no difference because it's a V6, but the only thing I need to do is to send him a fax with the car modification I did.  My rate will not go up  ...  If anyone else wants a quote from this guy call him.  I've been insured for over 8 years now, I did one claim (basement flooded  ), and they were very fast to fix everything, nothing bad to say about the guy.

Name: Gaetan St-Jean (Huard, Sabourin, Fortin)
phone before March: (613) 234-6885 (Ottawa Office)
after march 2006: (819) 772-9434 (Moving to hull office)

Thanks

[2ML67]

As I stated if its not the primary vehicle and no teenaged kids the insurance company doesn't care. If you have a bad record or are known  for buying insurance for one month to get your sticker then cancelling like some do or keep switching back and forth which car is on the road then they will nail you hard. For the married with children low risk driver's its no problem. Kinda a kick back for all the crap we take from our kids. Dan

[cowans]

I am with Lant Ins (alias Silver Wheels etc.,) aligned with Grundy USA for the Koenig. They don't restrict your milage, can't drive it to work, etc., but you must have a primary car as well! We have 2 cars insured through my wife's hospital plan... good deal! I feel I have finally beaten the Ins Co in that finally there is a bonus to a son going to school/working the summer at Western/London, On! He is not on our annual insurance bill, but IS INSURED (same as when brother drops in from Vancouver)when he drops in at Xmas/other holidays to STOCK up/pay bills!   All that they require is that his driver's license has an address other than ours!!! and that is a requirement of Transport Ontario... you have 30- days to change your address on your license when moving.
Alas, my daughter is in the 'learning stage', and will soon, again, subject us to the RIPOFF!
The Koenig's V8 is subject to 1980's emissions, basically just has to burn some of the fuel content to pass! I will second 'Aaron's' comment on Granpa's Garage. He does a honest business, and produces a good appraisel with proper pics.
Sandy

[Slammed Fiero]

+ 1 for Silver wheels (Lant)

They cover 4  of my dads corvairs  , Vette , cadillac. My 65 Corvair Turbo and my Fiero.

We have been with them for a long time..the only way to go!

JM
86 GT N* 5spd
65 Corvair Turbo
06 WRX

[GoFast88]

I am with Lant Ins (alias Silver Wheels etc.,) aligned with Grundy USA

I don't see there number in the book. Who is the broker in the Ottawa area?