Keep Modified Car Insurance Costs Down

If you own a modified car, you'll know that most "high street" insurers won't touch you with a barge-pole. Just answer "yes" to the "has your vehicle been modified" question, and the computer will, often, say no. But it doesn't have to be this way and, with insurance premiums having risen alarmingly recently, Adrian Flux Insurance Services have come up with some timely advice to keep your car fully covered, and your costs down: If your car is modified, high performance, or unusual in some other way, always pick up the phone to a specialist broker. Many of the best schemes don't appear on any online quote systems and, by looking a little closer into the risk, underwriters who deal with your type of car day in, day out can often find a better price. Consider a higher excess. OK, this is a bit of a gamble, but you know you're going to have to pay a higher premium with a lower excess, whereas you're only going to have to pay the excess if you have a fault claim. It might also focus the mind and make you drive that little bit more carefully... This may sound a little strange but, in many cases, the more money you spend modifying your car, the cheaper your insurance. Specialist insurers like people who have poured their heart and soul into their motor; they're much more likely to look after it than someone who's just spent a couple of hundred quid making it go faster. Declare all your modifications. There's no point getting a cracking insurance quote only to find you're not covered in the event of a claim. Insurers can void your policy if you've increased the performance of your car and not told them, which can leave you in hot water with the law, as well as massively out of pocket if you suffer a total loss. Another reason to declare all your mods is that you can arrange cover on an agreed value, like-for-like basis. If you don't, and get a standard insurance policy, then your £500 set of Wolfrace alloys will be replaced with standard wheels...and any other top-class mods you've made. Consider a limited mileage policy. Obviously, the less you drive your car, the cheaper it will be to insure it. Add your partner or spouse to the policy. People often think that having only one named driver will bring the premium down, but the reverse is usually true. Get the best security you can afford, park in a garage if you can, and if you have two cars you can often get discounts by insuring them on the same policy. After all, you can't drive them both at the same time... Join an owners club. As well as the many benefits it brings on its own, like access to expert help, many insurers given discounts for members, sometimes of up to 15 per cent. Whatever else you do, make sure you're covered. The number of people driving uninsured is on the increase, but not only do you risk fines and bans, but you will pay more for your cover in the future and you could end up bankrupt - imagine what would happen if you skidded on the ice and took out a row of parked cars...