How can you fully insure a car that is classified as a race car?

Theres a guy named bill lutz over on yellowbullet that does race car insurance

 

The car is fully caged top to bottom from the A pillars back

Is this true the cage and door x bracing automatically classifies it as non street legal?

I have no intention of giving all the details on the car as i rather not stir up an internet controversy but i will leave off that it is a very special car and myself and two friends want to pool the cash together to buy it. If i owned a rig with a car hauler i would just take itto tracks but i dont.

 

I hate mysteries.

 

I was told today they have a horespower cap at 650 and anything over this is automatic race car. This was from Hagerty and Grundy.

How much power does your engine make and did you have to provide all the nitty gritty on the output?

 

Many insurance companies won't cover a car with a cage. It has nothing to do with legality. It has to do with the likelihood of what the car will be used for, and the likelihood of them having to pay a claim.

 

From Grundy's website. Note the minimal deductible.

http://www.grundy.com/mvp/VintageRaceCar.aspx

To provide you with added peace of mind while you circle the track alongside fellow vintage racers, Grundy Insurance offers an on-track physical damage endorsement to supplement our “MVP” and other Special Client Services auto policies.

About the coverage
• Provides up to $1 million of physical damage Protection
• Deductible options are 3%, 5% and 10% with a minimum deductible of $10,000
• Premiums are based on the type of vehicle,value of the vehicle, number of events, and deductible chosen
• Premiums are fully earned and non-refundable
• Does not provide protection for depreciation at claim time
• Mechanical breakdown, engine/drive train failure, glass and tire wear damage is not covered

Qualifications and restrictions
For coverage consideration, please note the following requirements:
• Full personal insurance account must be written with Chartis through Grundy’s Special Client Services
• Vehicles 25 years or older (Newer vehicles may be covered on a limited basis, at the discretion of Chartis.)
• Drivers must be over 25 years old
• All vehicles must meet our underwriter’s collector car qualifications

 

As for the question about HP. Just because a carrier doesn't ask questions and goes ahead and sells you a policy doesn't mean they'll pay a claim.

 

Yes Grundy went over this today BUT this still doesnt allow any of these cars to be driven on the street to and from shows or events. This is the loop hole im trying to figure out

 

One of my good friends built his corvette as a mile scca race car and autocross car. Well he wrecked the car at an event and they denied the claim even though he had an insured and registered street car converted for race use.

There is so many stipulations and of course when the crap hits the fan the end user US usually gets shafted with a claim denial

 

Hagerty had no problem with my blown gasser. Just filled out form, sent pics & answered some questions they had. Did agreed value & of course no coverage while actually racing. Car is titled & tagged for street although lacking some street equipment.

 

Bingo. I have Grundy and it was exactly the same thing. You're covered on the street but not at the track. I don't remember anything saying you can't race it just that you're not covered. Also I don't remember any questions about a cage or HP. Plus how would they have any idea how much power you're making? Do you think they would dyno your motor if you make a claim.

If you want to get really down to it. They don't even want you driving them to work!




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If it's street legal, Heacock will. Covers it pretty much everywhere except while it's on the racetrack.

 

Race Insure down in FLorida (Mel Eaves, used to run a pro mod on the Super Chevy circuit) haven't heard from him in a few yrs but he'd insure anything from Indy cars to Nascar, to Top Fuel. You'd better have some deep pockets though. Really deep! Like Don Schumacher or Bill Gates deep LOL!

 

Oh, yeah insured while racing. Verrrrrry XXXpenxsive.

 

That is strange how everyone heads over to Grundy, or Hagerty and gets the same response, yet people keep doing it... Baffeling....

I would call State farm. They will ensure your vehicle while on the street. Then either get a race car rider, or buy race car ins while your at the track...That's what I did anyways.... I don't want the guy in the next lane, who I don't know, breakin loose cuz its his forst trip to the track, and wrecking my car....

 

Didn't you mean 600HP? 700 from most "vintage" race cars was pretty ambitious. To clarify I mean AS DELIVERED, not once the cheater cam was done and the headers were fabbed up and it was dyno tuned to within a split second of it's life. One of the baddest big blocks to ever hit the street, the L88 427, was closer to 585HP vs their claimed 430. The 427 side oiler was was about the same. The Hemi too. All hovered right around 600HP give or take a couple dozen...AS DELIVERED. It took a master engine builder and deep pockets to top 700 back then, but we do it today like it's nothing. Get your ducks in a row and offer the genuine historic facts.

 

My 700 hp street car had Liability insurance ..that's it

 

I would definately talk to the man , I have , the rules have changed this year for on track insurance , its a no more the company he was dealing with dropped it completely here is his number .614-861-3100

as for a pro stock car , more like pro street car , pro stock cars are 99% of the time a Body in white car ( no vin or interior or running gear and picked up at he assembly plant by the chassis builder or delivered to the builder by the manufactuer ) , or they build a tube frame car and add the sheetmetal too it as there is no inner support structure and they don't use half of the sheetmetal a street car needs ( interior and support peices ) , and the chassis has a builders number TAG on it for SFI competititon identification and legal ownership and who built it , they do not have certificates of origins (FHSTA birth certificate and legal safety and emissions compliance) for them to legally make them registerable street use , a pro streeter is a normal car that has been converted to look like a race car , and when I did this it was basically liability only insurance with the insurance company , If I hit someone else I was covered for damage and medical for them , if someone hit me there insurance paid me , if I went to the track it was 100% my wallet if it was packed into the wall ..

 

I've worked for both Hagerty and Grundy. Never heard of a HP limit or the cage being a disqualifier. No, they will not insure a funny car. No, they will not insured an Indy Car. They will not insure a car with nitrous.

The car needs a serial number (VIN) and a license plate. Don't vehicles in New York need a vehicle inspection? You never use the words "race car" when trying to insure a car. If you damage the car street racing, the insurance company will not cover your loss (even the medical). If you race the car at the track and damage it, they will not cover you. The track usually will have participant medical insurance.

 

Being ''covered'' and having a claim are two different things. The secolnd you have a claim, the insurance company becomes an adversary, and they have trained lawyers to use against you. Fight the insurance companies and they win, especially when you lie.

 

So make it 750hp and you can get coverage.

 

You can make 3000 hp and still have coverage. If you are driving the speed limit and get hit by a negligent driver, the amount of horsepower you are or are not making is irrelevant. If the car can legally be drive on the street and you're insured to do so, you're either liable or not. It's that simple. Insurance policies, especially auto policies, are contracts of adhesion with a significant presumption of coverage. If you wreck at the track, you're not covered. But if you wreck going home from the track, you are.

 

That's why I posted it. there is no loop hole, unless you find a carrier that deals with racecars. But I'd imagine the cost would be kind of high. If I was an insurance company, I'd make you pay dearly for coverage on something that is just about guaranteed to get damaged.

 

Triple C Agency

http://triplecagency.com/

specialize in race car insurance

 

Nevermind... Everyone knows more than someone in Claims...

 

HP is around 750. They didn't care it was blown, didn't care it was caged either. They have the pics before coverage was given.
They didn't ask for a build sheet on motor & never asked how much horsepower. I even told them it was an ex modern nostalgia race car that is now a street car.
It has plates, current registration & the correct ID numbers for the car.

Here's the pic I sent of the motor.


And the interior




I removed the race buckets & installed buckets from a Monte Carlo & removed the harness in favor of retractable lap belts.
Only thing lacking on this car to be totally legal are turn signals & a horn. They are on the to-do list.
I have full agreed coverage on the street but not at the track if I decided to do so.

 

In an effort to simplify this...race insurance is WAY out of the casual racers price range....that is if it exists...because as of yet not one poster has said he had any. I think unless you have a major sponsor you couldn't afford it and if you did have that kind of backing you wouldn't need it anyway.
This thread isn't so much beating a dead horse as it is a unicorn because I have never seen one of those either.

 

Up our way, Nitros is a definate no, no, if it looks like a race car and is street legal ie: comes with mechanical safety cerificate. You have to sign a waiver that states you are not racing the vehicle under any circumstances including street racing or the policy is null & void. Good Luck with your search.