I had State Farm for over 20 years (still have two cars insured with them) and they dropped me like a rock once they found out I did the 20B conversion.

My take on it is exactly what RotorMotor states, you can get specialty insurance but can't drive the car or you can go with a traditional insurer and haggle with them over the true value of your car. I don't mind doing this, it's kind of fun to mess with them. Would prefer not to though. I know I can call Hagerty and get a policy by telling them I don't drive the car and it's for shows only, but what happens if/when I get in an accident? I'm basically screwed because I would have lied on the application. At least that's my take on it.

Ramy, what do you think? By no means am I an insurance expert.

 

You can always say you were on your way to take it to a shhop to prep it for a show.

 

LOL you're too kind.

My apologies if my point re: mileage wasn't clear. It's not that you can't drive the car at all; you just can't use it for any non-pleasure uses, such as driving to work or running errands. By all means, tell them you'll drive the car. And even tell 'em honestly...because honestly, how often are you going to take the 20B FD for a spin? Once or twice a month? So that's what you tell 'em...an occassional Sunday drive ever few weeks. And that's really the truth. I don't even have a 20B FD and I put a bit under 3,000 miles on my FD over the past year (well 2 years actually, since it's been on jackstands for a year lol). In fact, here's Hagerty's policy re: driving the car, right off of their website:

"Usage. Hagerty provides coverage for vehicles that are used on an occasional basis -- e.g. club functions, exhibitions, organized meets, tours and limited pleasure driving."

So you're completely free to drive the car to and fro meets, for occassional Sunday pleasure driving (not just Sunday, but you know what I mean), and other PLEASURE activities. Just no work or errand drives. If for ANY reason you're going to incur greater mileage w/ these drives, as I mentioned, you simply call them PRIOR to this, and tell them "I have a club event I'm going to that's XXX miles away, so that trip alone is considerable mileage, but it's purely for show/exhibition, and as such I'd like to get that mileage pre-approved." They won't have a problem approving the additional mileage as such. You're telling 'em AHEAD of time, so they are aware, so you're still covered past the 3,000 mile limitation. But if you DON'T tell them and they find out the hard way, all of a sudden they'll say you broke the contract requirements and are left high and dry... So please understand, their mileage restriction isn't absolute; rather, it's simply to make sure that you're not daily driving the car to work or to errands.

Furthermore, don't forget that Grundy's (http://www.grundy.com/) DOES offer the EXACT SAME coverage Hagerty does, but WITHOUT mileage limitations (provided they don't feel you're abusing it or daily driving the vehicle). So there ARE options, and 99% of it is HOW you come across to the insurance agent...which brings us to the next point...

Yes please...

See above. I think you CAN drive it, essentially the same mileage you usually would w/ a highly modified and prized FD and STILL have a speciality insurance policy...

Dear dear David...lol. That's because MOST insurance policies stipulate you CANNOT change the vehicle from it's original manufacturer's performance state. Bolt-on's don't really count, but changing motors is usually grounds for being kicked outta your insurance policy. It's one of those little known but established rules of insurance companies. I only found that out after a very detailed grilling of an enthusiast-friendly insurance agent.

Nothing. You're allowed to drive it. But when they ask you where were driving to, you better NOT say "work" or "errands" lol. It had better be some meet or leisure driving! Plus AGAIN, there's Grundy...give 'em a shot, and this time, be VERY careful what you say. Don't let 'em lead you on to a response that'll deny you coverage. Be very careful...

Neither am I. That's Adam C you're talking about. But what I've found from my own personal experience I've already posted. Hopefully it helps...

~Ramy

 

Industrial Insurance agency inc.
Inverness Il.
David Treadwell
847-485-2218

 

Yup!... Have a great time with your Beauty/Beast...

Dwayne

 

Update: Delay

Well, was all prepard to show up at Gotham tomorrow but there has been a delay. Steve Kan works for Motorola and got called to Malaysia on Sunday. He'll be gone for a week so tuning will have to wait until he gets back.

New plan - the car will be completed and driven by Steve to Atlanta for his tuning session there over the weekend of April 6th and 7th. I'm already scheduled to be in Atlanta then for a college function so I'll pick up the car from him, have it dynoed it at the event, and drive it home.

Bummer but the new plan is okay. Will keep you posted

 

Seems like it will give him PLENTY of time to get it good and tuned. Sorry to hear it, I know it will be worth it.

 

i think this'll prove to be a blessing in disguise, the car should be better sorted this way

 

I might come check it out in ATL... Since its only 2 hours away from me..

 

I might swing over with you Phil

 

Steve is an amazing enterpreneur guy: he works full time as an EE, runs two businesses on the side (1) Gotham and (2) dyno tuning. He's also a pretty good driver.

 

At this point, Alex Haralam runs Gotham because Steve is at Motorola for the majority of the work week. Alex is the third owner of Gotham, along with me and Steve. I'm not involved in day-to-day operations at this point because of obvious geographical limitations. Alex doesn't have time to post on the forum because he's so busy---he's the man making it all happen behind the scenes Big props to Alex

 

Hah hah - capitalism at its best: you front the cash and reap the profits. Me, I'm just a migrant laborer: just ask Steve.

 

I second that mad probs to Alex

 

I concur with this. It's a disappointment to me (not to mention the $$ associated with canceling my plans at the last minute) but Steve will now get the opportunity to drive the car and test it out (hopefuly not the "drive it like it's stolen" kind).

Alex and Brian now have an opportunity to make sure everything is totally ready to go. I was all set to pick it up though...

 

Would love to meet you and 20B 3rd Gen. Still planning to get to DGRR also.

 

Well, glad I'll be in Atlana... gona get to see this monster!

 

I'm going to try to come out to ATL.. but today I found out about something BIG and its causing me a big headache for the DGRR event..

 

Sorry about this. What's the issue? Can anyone help?

 

Funny how that cost never comes to rest with any shops isn't it? Only in the auto industry . . .


The harder he drives it the better IMO. It's better to have it fail on his watch than yours.

 

Not really. If I ran a shop, I would do my best to give ppl honest estimates of when the job would be done, but I would in no way guarantee or be held responsible for job completion time, especially when it isn't a routine job. All sorts of unexpected things arise, from having difficulty in the job to parts breaking/refusing to come off to parts not being in stock to slight oversights or miscalculations etc etc. And it's not that this doesn't happen at good shops; it's that good shops take these things into account, and either grossly overestimate the time it'll take to complete the repair, and/or simply don't guarantee a finish by date. This isn't exactly a 20 min oil change, ya know?

So yea, if it were MY shop, I'd tell the customer "we're going to try our best to have it done by such and such date, but given the complexity of the job, complications are bound to arise. But we'll be sure to keep you updated of these complications as they arise, and our revised estimated date of completion." In short, don't tell me you'll be here to pick up the car on this and this date. I'll call YOU when it's done lol.

Oh and this isn't in any way unique to the automotive field. In medicine, for example, the average time it takes to see a patient/perform a surgery is taken into account, and thus X amount of patients are scheduled in for that day. Many a time certain patients require more time, have more complex problems, or simply complications arise, and you end up taking a LOT more time w/ one patient than you anticipated. Some ppl are asked to reschedule; some ppl are left waiting for a VERY long time, etc etc.

~Ramy

 

Ah I dont know. I think if the shop decides to tell you the time they will be done, they should eat the cost of travel cancellation, or get it done, one or the other. I have a feeling they told David it would be done, or he would have waited the extra time to book his plans. He has waited long enough. They dont need to grossly overestimate, but they surely can have a good idea of when they will be done, including setbacks, at this point in the project.

As for the medical side, I have worked as a manager in a family owned plastic surgery office and spa and often times surgery takes longer then anticipated....however, if a surgery gets pushed back overnight, we ALWAYS have to eat the cost of lodging for someone who has traveled. Otherwise you will risk losing the patient.
(Similar to risking losing customers in the auto industry)

 

mirabile, my comment wasn't directed toward David or his situation. Rather, it was directed to CMonakar and his comment (hence why I quoted his statement in my reply ). Moreover, if you don't make those promises in the first place, it's pretty hard to get yourself in that kind of bind from the get-go, dontcha think?

~Ramy

 

You've definitely never owned a shop before.

Ramy is 100% correct. There is never a concrete 'completion' date given. There are too many variables.....the car is done, when it's done. All of this is generally speaking.

 

This is not a stab, but were you given a time that your car is going to be completed?