E36 engine swap insurance details

JontyE46 · 14 Oct 2019 at 11:41

Hi all, first time poster, newer car enthusiast (About a year now).

I have been driving an E46 318ci for coming up a year now as my second car, has been a lovely car to own but looking to get myself a 6 cyl e36 come next year. My issue being the best example I've found near me is a 318is m50b25 engine swap (majority I find are engine swapped). Looking over insurance if I were to just buy a 325, my insurance costs around 700/800 (pretty standard), but being an engine swap from a 318, prices rocketed up to 6k because it's considering (I assumed anyway) a non standard engine swap. Is there any way around this ? Was considering getting on the phone to my insurance company, seeing if some explanation would help but I'm not sure, any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

JontyE46 · 14 Oct 2019 at 12:43

GeX said:
Try more specialised insurance companies, Adrian Flux were good when I used to swap engines. Mainstream companies tend to just quote high as they don't want to insure you

Aye I'll have to look into it, just a bit of a pain as I'm trying to build up my no claims so would be mean either waiting till may or trying to get it on the same insurer I'm currently with. Appreciate the reply.

JontyE46 · 14 Oct 2019 at 17:00

hominid said:
Greenlight are the one I use, but, tbh, I'm not sure they would take on a car that age - but it doesn't cost much to ring and find out.

Thinking, would it be possible to get the car registered as a 325, I wouldn't have to declare it as a swap ?

JontyE46 · 15 Oct 2019 at 09:08

Hades said:
I'd be inclined to ask on an owners forum or club. There will certainly be specialist insurers who will quote for significantly less,

Thank you for the advice, probably my next step. If I can't get a more acceptable quote I may wait and just seek out a stock 325/328 e36 as a last resort.