Morris Minor Owners Club

i would like hear about anybodies experiences with insurance companies due to bolt on upgrades. the likes of front roll bars ,telescopic shocks and 5 speed gearboxes. Also can any one with personal problems with salvage rights ect get me up to speed. many thanks

Lancaster insurance noted my five speed ‘box. It didn’t increase the premium. I can’t comment on the other points.

Similarly Lancaster haven't wanted to increase my premium with anything I've done - spicy engine rebuild, Ford 5-speed, ARB, Wolseley drums, etc. Similar experience with Footman James.

However, these companies will try to sting you for £30+ each time you call up to make an adjustment to your policy. I flat out refused this when taking out the policy because I knew I'd be making changes and they waived it.

I take it that you would like to retain the car and salvage the parts you mention in your post?

Dependent upon the classification given to the car will depend upon whether you are able to retain the car or whether it has to be scraped.
What insurance classification has been given to the car post accident?

My own recent experience with my modern was that the insurance wanted to scrap the car - I said no - I want to retain the car and the third party insurance pay for the repairs at my preferred body shop. As the insurance classification to my car post accident was given as 'N' 'No Structural Damage' I successfully retained the car and had a insurance pay out.

So going back - what was the classification if that is the scenario?

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know ... write-off/

Same for me, wife's very tidy 19197 mx5 got hit on one wing while parked and they wanted to write it off, dig your heals in and argue with them, in my experience of this and a couple of similar claims over the years they really just want to close it ASAP, for the mx 5 they offered a £1000 cash settlement, second hand wing in the same colour was around £80 and it's held on with a dozen bolts, so we were happy!

I do have a secret weapon with them though, my wife used to be a senior underwriter and knows our rights inside out, they always try to tell you you have to do this or that, I pass her the phone she reads them the riot act quoting all the legal rights the insured have and their duties, it usually goes the she then gets passed to someone senior and it gets sorted out!

philthehill wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 12:35 pm Dependent upon the classification given to the car will depend upon whether you are able to retain the car or whether it has to be scraped.
What insurance classification has been given to the car post accident?

My own recent experience with my modern was that the insurance wanted to scrap the car - I said no - I want to retain the car and the third party insurance pay for the repairs at my preferred body shop. As the insurance classification to my car post accident was given as 'N' 'No Structural Damage' I successfully retained the car and had a insurance pay out.

Apparently the new categories are A, B, S, and N. My insurer allows salvage retention with category S and N. So 'Structural Damage' and 'No Structural Damage'. While any category A or B write off's are supposed to be destroyed.
I don't believe insurers should apply this write-off classification system to historic vehicles. It may be suited to modern vehicles but most historic vehicles are completely different to moderns. Some are particularly rare and have limited parts availability or are historically significant for other reasons. So, in many cases the same restrictions and economic limits preventing their repair don't really apply. The owner should be able to retain the vehicle and repair it or salvage any parts as they see fit, regardless of the category. As things currently stand, you wouldn't be able to do this if your historic vehicle was a category A or B write-off.