Insurance on re-mapped vehicle - what is your experience?

[Thon]

Hi Everybody,

I am asking this question as I would like to re-map my 3.0 TDI Quattro and found a significant barrier in the insurance. My current policy is around £480 F.C and when I asked Direct Line if they would insure me with a re-map, they said they would providing it was a maximum of 20% increase in BHP, and would basically double my premium. I was trying to achieve the best MPG rather than increase power but most re-maps exceed 20% and although I am all for reducing the fuel consumption, it seems a bit barmy to spend the thick end of £500 a year plus the cost of the re-map to achieve a 3-5 MPG gain.

Any advice would be appreciated as at present I just feel like forgetting the whole idea.

Many Thanks in advance, Jonathan.

[Sam]

Direct Line are a mainstream company

You're better off finding a specialist. We have a few who sponsor VWAF (see my sig) and I can personally recommend Adrian Flux.

[Eshrules]

Adrian flux again here - used them with the polo and they were the only company who would touch my age, my area and my 'modifications' (serves me right for dropping it over 3 inches )

[darich]

my last insurer was RAC (who I'd consider mainstream) and they covered my remap. Without remap my renewal was £320. With remap and several phonecalls RAC covered me for around £420.
When that policy had run its course I used a comparison site and declared the remap (engine chip as they call it and the power increase which is/was around 17%) and the comparison site returned 6 quotes around £305 again.....including my current company but £100 cheaper......go figure.

Anyway....I bought it online complete with declarations of remap, non standard alloys and retro cruise control and it was around £305. Fully comp too.

I appreciate that's quite cheap but I'm on max NCD and in a good postcode. Main thing is, I found insuring modified car not too difficult at all.

I'd check carefully if your remap increases power by more than 20%.....it might make a difference if it pushes you into a new bracket.

[Thon]

You seem to have done well - I am similarly NCD qualified, 43 and in a leafy part of Surrey so would expect reasonable costs. I do also have business use and 20K pa mileage allowance.

My proposed remap was 201 to 255 BHP, which is more than 25%. I will try some specialists and declare a re-map when I renew and see what happens.

Thanks for all of the replies so far.

[darich]

My declared mileage is something like 10k but in real life it's closer to 6-7k. I also don't have business use.

[Big G star]

Direct Line are a mainstream company

You're better off finding a specialist. We have a few who sponsor VWAF (see my sig) and I can personally recommend Adrian Flux.

+1 on adrian flux, they were cheaper even with remap and other mods than most mainstream company's were for a std un-modified car!


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[Splash]

I've used Primo plc for my cars, and they are very practical regarding any modifications declared. They cover my bike too, and specialise in multi -vehicle cover on the basis you can only be riding or driving one at any time.

[Boxa786]

My insurance is due for renewal and I want to check some of this sites sponsors. From your link in your sig mycarsavw, I can only find Sky insurance and then right at the bootom, Chris nott, but you and others have recommended Adrian Flux, where is his link?

Thanks

[Brycie]

I did get a quote from Chris Knott some time ago & they were excellent. At the time, I checked Money Supermarket, Go Compare, Compare The Market, Confused.com and Direct Line; plus I got a quote from my existing insurer (LV Budget who I found the previous year by doing a similarly comprehensive search).

Chris Knott beat all of the other quotes (next cheapest was renewing with LV Budget) plus they offered far lower excess and more extras to boot. I was very impressed. I did try to get a quote from one other site sponsor but they never responded to my answerphone message so I can't give feedback.

I didn't try Adrian Flux so can't comment. Not sure if I've misunderstood what you were saying Darich, but I've added business use on several of my policies with various insurers & it's never added a penny onto my policy. Adding the Wife as a named driver however did reduce my premium, despite her having a single car accident in 2009.