Insurance implications: painted calipers?

Ernie Ball

Is it necessary to declare painted brake calipers to one's insurance company? Have you ever heard of a claim being denied because the calipers were painted without permission?

I ask because I heard of a case in the UK and am wondering whether I have to declare mine.

Interceptor

Its hard to know if you are being serious, but I would very much doubt a claim could be denied due to painted calipers. The paint would have to be directly attributable to the cause of the accident and unless you spill a pint of it on your windscreen I can't imagine how it could cause an accident. There is a requirement to declare modifications but some due diligence should be undertaken to ensure you are not wasting your time. Would you declare if you changed your air freshener from Forest Pine to Vanilla? What about fitting a carbon fibre gear knob? The UK have gone overboard with declaring modifications and I think there is a happy medium to be found.

'cptr

Ernie Ball

Interceptor wrote:

Its hard to know if you are being serious, but I would very much doubt a claim could be denied due to painted calipers. The paint would have to be directly attributable to the cause of the accident and unless you spill a pint of it on your windscreen I can't imagine how it could cause an accident. There is a requirement to declare modifications but some due diligence should be undertaken to ensure you are not wasting your time. Would you declare if you changed your air freshener from Forest Pine to Vanilla? What about fitting a carbon fibre gear knob? The UK have gone overboard with declaring modifications and I think there is a happy medium to be found.

I should have mentioned that I find it to be just as ridiculous as you do. But check out this thread.

I suppose the insurers could make the case that painted calipers increase the desirability of the car (or something) and then not pay out if it were stolen. Or they could say, in case of an accident, that they have no way of knowing whether you damaged the brakes in the course of painting them....

Absurd, I know. But I don't want to find out that it's going to be a problem after I need to make a claim.

ando

Id say the insurance company would have a case if you painted the discs but the calipers...? It is absurd to even think the insurance company would refuse payment but then again, that thread suggests the insurance companies will do anything to get out of paying

Kersh

Slightly off topic (but not much) - I know plenty of people who have undeclared mods on their cars, and people who have 1.3 GT starlets down as 1.3 Gi or non turbo models, same with Lancer 1.8s, and Levins -
But does anyone know of a failed insurance claim BECAUSE of these undeclared mods. I certainly dont.
Will an insurance company refuse to payout if you're Levin is supercharged, but not insured so?? Do you know anyone this has happened to?

Interceptor

I know of a case where a Galway based guy in his early 20's superchipped a Civic and after he flipped it into a field, the assessor found the superchip and the insurance company refused a certain amount of his claim but not all of it. Painted calipers, I doubt it - my car is like a christmas tree and if I declared everything it would take six pages to list it all.

drdre

i donot think this would affect your insurance but why not call them and ask them and if they say yes and its cheap 10-20 euro then the best option is pay it to be on the safe side.but i know afew people who have painted there brake pads but i donot think they informed the insurance company.but i will find out for you.

Kersh

Kersh wrote:

Slightly off topic (but not much) - I know plenty of people who have undeclared mods on their cars, and people who have 1.3 GT starlets down as 1.3 Gi or non turbo models, same with Lancer 1.8s, and Levins -
But does anyone know of a failed insurance claim BECAUSE of these undeclared mods. I certainly dont.
Will an insurance company refuse to payout if you're Levin is supercharged, but not insured so?? Do you know anyone this has happened to?

Technically they are driving around with very expensive sheets of paper.

A Garda on another board mentioned they have started procecuting some of the owners of these "1.3 on the book" starbos for lack of insurance.

About friggin time.

elexes

why not ring them and inform them that after bringing your car in for a service it was seen you break calipers need replacing and the new ones are red

bp_me

ronoc wrote:

Technically they are driving around with very expensive sheets of paper.

A Garda on another board mentioned they have started procecuting some of the owners of these "1.3 on the book" starbos for lack of insurance.

About friggin time.

All starlets (turbo) should be 1.3 on the VLC. The vlc only lists the engine capcity, not any other "features" such as turbo chargers, vtec (hondas), vvti, etc etc etc.

as far as i know anyway.