The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

One of my Dolomites will be completed and ready to return to the road in March. It started life as 1300 but was uprated to Sprint mechanical specification before my ownership. As the car is such a hybrid I thought it might be suited to life as mild track day car.

To this end I have uprated the brakes and suspension to suit and have removed all of the interior trim. Appearance-wise it looks like a racer, even though it's (and my) abilities may not be more than skin deep!

I'm now concerned about how I should insure it both for use on the road (en route to events) and at track days themselves. Obviously I'll be 100% transparent with the modifications made. Can anyone recommend a good and sympathetic insurer?

Many thanks.

Hi 1296,
I do not know of any myself (UK)but there are quite a few threads on here about insurance ...
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20392&start=45&hilit=Insurance
Maybe have a look on this one as a few names do come up regularly.
But you are dead right you must be fully open & honest when asnwering any duty of disclosure questions when gaining insurance( I have worked in insurance last 10 years). Make sure you let them know about the modifications and make sure they are then noted on the policy and are covered also.With insurance cheapest is not always best. My two Dollies are actually insured with another company who specialze in classic car insurance and they are not the cheapest but have better policy benefits and extras that are more suited to these types of cars.
Things I would suggest you would want are;
A true agreed value- not market value. That way you know in the event of a total loss/writeoff/theft exactly what you will be paid-make sure the policy does not say agreed value or market whichever is less.
Salvage-make sure you get at least first option to buy the wreck back in the event of a write off. There are always many parts you can salvage and re-use for the next project. Some compainies will even give you automatic salvage rights.
Usage-there are companies who will reduce the premium if the car is not a daily driver or has limited use.
Modifications- Ensure the company notes on the policy AND covers your modifications or accesories that you have on the car. Eg that new you beuat stereo or those super bright spotlight you just fitted? These are sometimes not automatically covered.
Make sure they give you a choice of repairer so you can take the car to someone who knows old cars and can complete the repairs correctly.
Other things like;
No Claim bonus Protection can be handy,
Free windscreen or glass cover on some policies,
Some companies will offer a discount if you are part of a club(the company I am with actually offer a discount if you have a racing(cams) license,
Others may offer a saving if you have only named drivers on a policy eg not just anyone can drive the car and be covered.
Ask others in the club who they are with(particularly ones who have claimed) were they happy with their policy/repairs in their time of need?
Anyhow just a few things to ponder.
Hope this helps.
Baz

Baz, thank you so much for taking the time to compose such a comprehensive and useful reply. I shall keep all your advice in mind and will of course declare all modifications.

Yes I am sure you will declare all the mods but just make sure they are noted on your policy as covered.
Not that I don't trust "all insurance companies" but just make sure they are noted on the policy as being covered. I have heard of people notifying their insurance company of mods but when it comes time to claim...." oh no we have no record of those mods".
Cheapest is not always best. I work for a insurance company who "could" insure my cars cheaper (staff discount etc) but I prefer to stick with a company( I previously worked for ) who understands classics and the work that goes into them with all the previously mentioned benefits. And trust me I like to save a dollar(pound) or two where I can but its like oil... we do not put the cheapest oil in our cars for good reason.
I am sure there are a few insurers in the Dolly club mag who seem to specialize in classics.
Oh ,and make sure you actually read their (insurance company) product disclosure statement (P.D.S.). I know "put to sleep reading" but pay particular attention to their "policy Exclusion sections". When talking to the company ask about some of their exclusions etc. Ask heaps of questions to ensure you really understand what you are paying for. it's your money..ask away. i am continually surprised by people who take out commercial/business policy's with me who ask no questions, and some policy's are worth a lot more than both my cars(and then some).
Apologies for going on a bit everyone ... in my defence I am "hammer drunk" (born in the UK but Aussie now- so its in my nature) and love to help anyone I can in the ways of insurance. i can only assume that insurance guidelines are similar in the UK to Australia.?
Baz :-& :-&

You could try one of the below, they all specialise in track / competition insurance and can be surprisingly good value though may have some use restrictions attached to them.

Competition Car Insurance
Moris
REIS