A word of advice about HBF

[rob77]

Ok, I just rang up HBF to confirm I wanted to change my policy from RAC to them and I got talking to the guy about the insurance and about modifications. If you want to "add" your modifications (cover them) with the policy they will need to check with their underwriting agency. Also if you "modify" the engine in any way you "must" tell them or if you have an accident and its your fault your policy and claim will be null and void. So I threw to him the scenario of a fmic and electronic boost controller (I have the ebc, but no fmic *yet*). He went away and called me back after a couple of hours. Basically HBF will "not" insure my car unless its bog stock standard, if I choose to leave it standard I can insure it and if I have an accident it'll be covered. My other option is to go with them, do the mods and pray like hell that I dont have an accident and its my fault. I'm starting to get pretty frustrated by this all, I've got a clean driving history (no accidents) I had maximum no claim bonus with RAC. Also I wanted to insure the car for an "agreed" value of $25,000 (as it would cost through a dealer roughly $25,000 to get a 94 with simular mods to mine) but because I imported it myself and it cost me ~ $17400 they would only insure it for $17400, unless I go to RAC and get them to give me a letter quoting its worth. If the insurance company doesnt have market information about imports, how would RAC have market values of them??? Looks like HBF is a cheap insurance company if you leave the car stock, but otherwise it could end up costing you a lot of money. In the meantime anyone have any suggestions on insurance companies that deal only with imports?

[Boostzor]

Yeh u will definately need to go with one of the more ahhh how should i say ... liberal places for mods. When i was insure my brokers let me do pretty much anything i wanted within reason. I think famous classic are the same.

[ix9]

Famous don't care about mods, as long as you tell them.

Gave me a dam good price too. They specifically gave me that to beat the RAC price...

give them a call, and tell them what HBF quoted.. they should come to the party.. they're loving the business they're getting from insuring imports!

[Boostzor]

s long as ure a "cleanskin" of course, me im a god damn filthyskin :lol:

[rob77]

Got a number for famous? btw: I'm 25, 26 later this year, does that matter?

[Hawke]

Hey Rob77

The RAC have been pretty good to me, they downgraded the value on my car to 22k when I got my renewal but I rang them up and saind that I wanted 26k and they did it without any questions. It might just be the preson you got. My premium is 800 or so per year (but I am 29). Your age will affect your policy, once you turn 26 you should see a decrease as you are out of the danger years!!! (hahaha!)

Also when I spoke to RAC about mods (FMIC and boost controller) they said not a prob just a premium increase maybe.

Scott

[Denver]

Im going through this saga at the moment..

I've found one company, justcar, that will cover everyhting, even a roll cage, no hassles, the only problem is they are underwritten by aami, which don't have a setup in WA...

and justcar don't know when they will, and its driving them up the wall, i rang back the other day to see if they will be here anytime soon, and the woman told me that the amount fo calls a day she gets from people in WA is massive, and the amount of potential business they are loosing is huge..

maybe we need to hassle ammi to get there act together..

[red17]

QBE asked me what mine was worth since theyd never even heard of a 2.0 litre turbo skyline before. I told em 17 thousand.

What if you car comes into the country with mods on? If its roadworthy and legal by transport, surely its legal by insurance companies. If you contested it in court, you might be in with a chance.

I havent enquired with QBE in regards to mods, anyone know?

Red17

[rob77]

Cant insure with RAC they dont do imports.

[skyzerr33]

only if your a new customer

but there is also rumour of RAC dropping current clients

justcars hoe u got a decent figure as they are fairly high with there premiums according to the eastern state guys i've spoken to.

[rob77]

Well, I am with them now and when my re-newall came through it listed my car as a R32 GTR. I might ring them up and see what the story is.

[Denver]

Originally posted by skyzerr33

only if your a new customer

but there is also rumour of RAC dropping current clients

justcars hoe u got a decent figure as they are fairly high with there premiums according to the eastern state guys i've spoken to.

erm, thats the eastern states, i pay 1200 per year for my rex with wesfarmers, while over east its around 5k, and you need a quick track alarm system..

the east is much much more expensive compared to WA, for any car. and with any company..

[skyzerr33]

rob77

yeah that happened to me go into a RAC office, thy can fix it up

and you'll be covered right.

XRW

yeah thats a valid point, westfarmers is suppose to be pretty good why do u want to swap

[rob77]

Mind you my RAC premium is $944 (thats with maximum NCB) the HBF on the same insured amount was $760something. Nearly $200 difference.

[Denver]

Originally posted by skyzerr33

XRW

yeah thats a valid point, westfarmers is suppose to be pretty good why do u want to swap

Cause not many insurance companies are cool with roll cages, and id prefer to decalre all my mods than be shafted should the worst happen...

[ix9]

famous insurance http://www.famousinsurance.com.au (that was hard wasnt it?)

Give them a call, and see what they can do

Even with your mods like a roll cage Denver

[Denver]

I did, there $500 a year more to insure with :-

[NO_RSPECT]

hahahaha ROB77

The decisions go through me mate.. anyways no one knows jack all about imports in our call centre so they have to ask me. Was it James that called you ?? Basically if you are purchasing your car with mods (say it is imported with bov. fmic, exhaust) and then you licence it and it passes as is and if we are offering cover based on that then you are fine. If the car is bog standard and then you go ahead and start modifying it we NEED to know because we like nearly all insurance companies like to know if a car we have underwritten (and the 'agency' in just another department that process everything, we underwrite all out insurance ourselves) has now differed from original.

In the same way that you alter your car any insurance company has a right to alter your contract once notified as the risk can be different. Same goes for RAC how they said might be a difference in premium well it might be because you first need to let them know so they can reassess and then make the change to your contract of insurance. If no one knows what you have done and you smash it, anyone can refuse because THE RISK IS DIFFERENT and so all bases need to be covered. Its fairly simple and like imports (which people all dont know alot about) insurance is the same.

The masses dont understand what underwriting insurance is all about. HBF as an example are and have always been a domestic private use insurer so ... we are not set up appropriately to cover high performance imports. We have only recently started branching into it, thanks to my pestering (to get my car covered...haha) So in time we will be alot better set up to handle them, as training needs to be changed etc and basically staff have a hard time explaining things.

Famous insurance are well set up from the sounds of things as well as alot of other specialist insurers like Shannons. I mean throw us a holden commodore and there will be no dramas but stick something strange into the equation and then all of a sudden each policy needs to be looked at on its own merits.

Basically AGE, HISTORY, CAR, MODIFICATION LEVEL, (is the customer being a prat on the phone...we all know that last one is true when it comes to helping people out)

I only work there mate and dont run the place so i couldnt really care what you said cos all the import TOTAL LOSS claims we have done so far (about 18 write offs since we started imports ... not long ago) have gone smoothly. , as most repairers have no clue as to mods. Just dont make your engine bay too shiny so it doesnt stand out too much when the repairers and assessors look at it or maybe smash it in the front so it cant be recognised. hehe

Anyways peoples its late and I gotta prepare for another day of complaints etc so I will see you all L8R

[red17]

Well said! Always nice to have the inside word.

And theres another option after you have an accident. Get the car towed to your house, next morning, get up and start taking bits off it (if your like me and keep all the standard items off your car it should be an easy job to get it back to stock in a short time. Especially if were talking about an intercooler or exhaust.

Then ring up the insurance company and say "Well i was going to fix it myself, but now i think ill make a claim" And get it towed to a smashie

Its tricky sometimes, but your perfectly within your rights to do it. Ive done it once. (I didnt restore items to stock condition, merely changed my mind about fixing some damage myself, in hindsight i probably should have).

Red17

[Psiker]

Lol u ppl whinging bout insurance being just over a grand for a nice car like a line

im currently paying $1450 a year with RAC on my excel

SGIO quoted me $3200

QBE $ 3300

HBF "I'm Sorry But We Can't Currently Insure You b'cause of ur 3 speeding fines and ur age." me sez "y" HBF "ur a liability" me sez "farrrrrrkkkkk offff" hangs up fone

if u want nice insurance dont get an excel i tell ya

Psiker