Soldato
Has anyone got any experience on having agreed value insurance on cars that aren't high end, or old classics?
I've got a 2005 Mini Cooper S Checkmate, there are less than 500 of this model left on the UK roads. There's a bit more to them than just a badge stuck it, they're a unique exterior colour (and interior) and have an LSD. It has a good option list and has been well looked after, but a common issue on the facelifted R53 Minis is that they rust out on the rear lights. The only way to fix this properly is to have the rust cut out, new metal welded in and the car resprayed. It's not cheap to do it properly. It has already had the subframes removed and powder coated as they can get bit a scabby after nearly 20 years.
Having dealt with trying to get a fair settlement for our Civic that was written off last year, I'm concerned that on a standard insurance policy, if the car was damaged then the insurer would simply look at similar aged and mileage Mini Cooper S and payout based on that. There are some pretty ropey Minis out there and I'm sure they could find a few examples that would cost less than it'd cost me to have the rust repaired properly. I don't beleive they'd care about the options list (finding a Checkmate with heated front screen, heated seats, climate, autodip mirror took some time).
When I orignally got the car, I spoke to a few more specialist insurers but the only 'limited' Mini they would insure was the John Cooper Works variant. I'm wearing of bothering to fix the rust and do other expensive preventive maintenance if it can be so easily wiped out in a minor collision.
I've got a 2005 Mini Cooper S Checkmate, there are less than 500 of this model left on the UK roads. There's a bit more to them than just a badge stuck it, they're a unique exterior colour (and interior) and have an LSD. It has a good option list and has been well looked after, but a common issue on the facelifted R53 Minis is that they rust out on the rear lights. The only way to fix this properly is to have the rust cut out, new metal welded in and the car resprayed. It's not cheap to do it properly. It has already had the subframes removed and powder coated as they can get bit a scabby after nearly 20 years.
Having dealt with trying to get a fair settlement for our Civic that was written off last year, I'm concerned that on a standard insurance policy, if the car was damaged then the insurer would simply look at similar aged and mileage Mini Cooper S and payout based on that. There are some pretty ropey Minis out there and I'm sure they could find a few examples that would cost less than it'd cost me to have the rust repaired properly. I don't beleive they'd care about the options list (finding a Checkmate with heated front screen, heated seats, climate, autodip mirror took some time).
When I orignally got the car, I spoke to a few more specialist insurers but the only 'limited' Mini they would insure was the John Cooper Works variant. I'm wearing of bothering to fix the rust and do other expensive preventive maintenance if it can be so easily wiped out in a minor collision.
