Cutting the Crash Bar

[Coryz]

I'm looking to put a front mount intercooler in my Mazdaspeed6, some kits look better installed if you cut the crash bar and mount the intercooler core higher up.

Does anyone know if cutting the crash bar has any effect on settling an insurance claim if the car is ever in a front end collision?

Thanks

[spike98]

When i have questions like the above i call my broker and simply dont tell them my name. It seems to be the most direct answer without missinformation.

That being said i can imagine that unless they can prove that the modification to your vehicle caused the accident i cant see why they would deny your claim. However, i have seen insurance policies that void if ANY modification to the principal vehicle is made. For example a Cold Air Intake...

[ExtraSlow]

The crash bar is part of the safety structure of your vehicle. I think they'd have reasonable ground for not paying for damage to the car and injury to the persons inside. It's like removing the seatbelts or airbags.

[ercchry]

the front mount would probably be enough for them to void insurance without the cutting of the bar

[SJW]

If it sounds like a bad idea, it probably is.

Just sayin.........

[JRSC00LUDE]

I've never understood cutting that out......is it really worth it? :dunno:

[Mibz]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
The crash bar is part of the safety structure of your vehicle. I think they'd have reasonable ground for not paying for damage to the car and injury to the persons inside. It's like removing the seatbelts or airbags. This.


Originally posted by ercchry
the front mount would probably be enough for them to void insurance without the cutting of the bar Kinda this. Totally depends on insurance company. Some will adjust your policy for lowering springs or a CAI. Mine didn't care about any of my mods, including coilovers. None of them removed safety equipment though.

The OP, a lot of SRT owners removed their front crash bar for BFMICs and the smart ones immediately had a new one fabbed. Talk to Revhard or another trusted welder on here. I'm sure somebody can make you a new crash bar so you can have the best of both worlds. If not, keep it in. Safety first ;)

[Kloubek]

I would not be so concerned about insurance as I would your own personal safety.

Let's not kid ourselves. You want to do this so your car will look better... and so you can look better in it. If you didn't care what others thought, then I doubt you would care about mounting the intercooler higher, and it looking better.

The bottom line: Are you willing to sacrifice your legs in order to look a bit cooler in your car? Because I gotta tell you - people generally feel sorry for someone without legs... rather than thinking - man, does that guy look good.

[ercchry]

mount higher= less piping and less chance of scraping it on ground, which is less chance of causing a boost leak

[94boosted]

Originally posted by spike98
However, i have seen insurance policies that void if ANY modification to the principal vehicle is made. For example a Cold Air Intake...

I don't think they can void your policy based off some modifications, so long as they don't affect safety. Suspension may be in a grey area but CAI, Exhaust, FMIC..... I doubt it

[spike98]

Originally posted by 94boosted


I don't think they can void your policy based off some modifications, so long as they don't affect safety. Suspension may be in a grey area but CAI, Exhaust, FMIC..... I doubt it

I was with ING and they told me ANY modification that was considered a "fixture" of the car and it would be grounds for a denial of claim.

Thier loose definition of what was considered a "fixture" was anything that required tools to install/remove.

[94boosted]

Originally posted by spike98


I was with ING and they told me ANY modification that was considered a "fixture" of the car and it would be grounds for a denial of claim.

Thier loose definition of what was considered a "fixture" was anything that required tools to install/remove.

Wow thats some of the biggest BS I've ever heard from an Insurance Company, you should probably tell them to go f**k themselves and move onto a better insurance company. Or you could just get a K&N Drop In Air Filter and an Aftermarket Tune which don't require any mechanical tools per say to install :D

[ercchry]

pretty much if you want full control of the "mods" on your car and to stay legal... you have one option, Nordic.... you will pay more and be with all the people that are "uninsurable" ie. people with 5 dui's but you can do what you please to your car

i was with TD and they said they would insure me if i removed X number of things from my car... they said i could only be modified in X number of catagories

[2EFNFAST]

Different insurance companies, different rules. TD once told me if I had anything more than basic bolt ons, they would void my policy if I was in an accident (and didn't pay a special premium ontop of what I wa salready paying)


Originally posted by spike98
When i have questions like the above i call my broker and simply dont tell them my name. It seems to be the most direct answer without missinformation.



Caller id owns you ;)

[Mibz]

Originally posted by ercchry
pretty much if you want full control of the "mods" on your car and to stay legal... you have one option, Nordic.... This is complete garbage.
I'm on Aviva and, as I mentioned, they didn't need to adjust my policy for any of my mods, and I -highly- doubt that all the guys I know are on Aviva or Nordic. Maybe others wouldn't insure you with mods, but I'm pretty sure you're young right? Like 16-18? I imagine that would be a factor.

Anyway, the only way to know for sure is to phone your insurance broker/company. You tell them what you plan on doing and they adjust your policy accordingly. If they choose not to do anything (like mine) then you go on living life and phone them again next time you want to mod. If they tell you they're going to increase your premiums and you say "No, I won't do the mods then", but go and do them anyway? Well then they reserve the right to deny your claim. I'm not saying they -will-, but these are the rules and, bullshit or not, you have to follow them.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Mibz
Like 16-18? I imagine that would be a factor.

.

... we really need join dates back....


no i am not young... and i went through all of this with my broker (my winter car is actually on aviva) i am surprised my broker has not commented yet actually... (masked bandit) but you see when i say "mod" i do not mean some springs and an intercooler....

with TD i was told remove one of the following:
-bigger motor
-coils
-rims (yes rims count as a "mod")
-roll cage/buckets

[beyond_ban]

Originally posted by ercchry

-rims (yes rims count as a "mod" )

They are probably included as a mod because of the added value to the car.

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by Mibz
This is complete garbage.
I'm on Aviva and, as I mentioned, they didn't need to adjust my policy for any of my mods, and I -highly- doubt that all the guys I know are on Aviva or Nordic. Maybe others wouldn't insure you with mods, but I'm pretty sure you're young right? Like 16-18? I imagine that would be a factor.
.

Same here (with aviva, they don't care about mods). As I said above, TD was really anal about them.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by ercchry
... we really need join dates back....

no i am not young... Why would your join date have anything to do with your age?


and i went through all of this with my broker (my winter car is actually on aviva) i am surprised my broker has not commented yet actually... (masked bandit) but you see when i say "mod" i do not mean some springs and an intercooler....

with TD i was told remove one of the following:
-bigger motor
-coils
-rims (yes rims count as a "mod")
-roll cage/buckets And, like I mentioned, I put coilovers and wheels on my car, as well as internal engine mods. I phoned them for everything and I was continually told that my policy didn't need to be adjusted.

I'm just trying to figure out where the miscommunication is. Either your broker told you that nobody can mod their shit with anybody but Nordic, or he told you that YOU can't mod your shit with anybody but Nordic and you took that to mean nobody could. One of you is wrong. That's all I'm saying.

And while this point isn't really valid in our case because we're both on Aviva, I'm pretty sure that not all brokers have access to all companies.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by beyond_ban


They are probably included as a mod because of the added value to the car.

nope, aparently they effect handling and something else... told me they were in two catagories


and again yes there is more then one company that wil insure your car that has exhaust, rims, and an intercooler.... but not any others that will insure a car with a 4th "catagory" ie. rollcage... seriously it took me about two weeks to get coverage on my car without lying (aka void insurance)

[Mibz]

Originally posted by ercchry
nope, aparently they effect handling and something else... Yeah, this is why I phone my insurance for everything. There was a huge stink in Alberta about cars getting denied because they were lowered and insurance wasn't informed. They'd deny claims based on the fact that lowering springs or coilovers changed how the car handled.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Mibz
Why would your join date have anything to do with your age?



well back when beyond actually was about cars... most people joined when they could drive (i was 17 then i think?)

and see above for the rest

[spike98]

Originally posted by 94boosted


Wow thats some of the biggest BS I've ever heard from an Insurance Company, you should probably tell them to go f**k themselves and move onto a better insurance company. Or you could just get a K&N Drop In Air Filter and an Aftermarket Tune which don't require any mechanical tools per say to install :D

I agree, which is why i am not longer with ING and havent been for quite some time. I am with SGI currently and they havent said the word boo about my current or planned mods. I made it clear when i signed the dotted that i had plans to modifiy. IIRC SGI will only deny a claim if the result of the claim was from dissabling or removing critical safety equipment. IE seatbelts, airbags ect.



Originally posted by 2EFNFAST
Different insurance companies, different rules. TD once told me if I had anything more than basic bolt ons, they would void my policy if I was in an accident (and didn't pay a special premium ontop of what I wa salready paying)



Caller id owns you ;)

Spoofed CID via JB iphone FTW!



Originally posted by ercchry


well back when beyond actually was about cars... most people joined when they could drive (i was 17 then i think?)

and see above for the rest

Is this implying something? FYI my join date is 2003 IIRC and i was born in 83. So i am not 17-18

[ercchry]

Originally posted by spike98


Is this implying something? FYI my join date is 2003 IIRC and i was born in 83. So i am not 17-18

the influx of people that recent fame has brought this forum has strayed from the original car base that it started as... thus join dates would not mean that new members can probably drive... thus no longer a gauge for members ~minimum age

[spike98]

Originally posted by ercchry


the influx of people that recent fame has brought this forum has strayed from the original car base that it started as... thus join dates would not mean that new members can probably drive... thus no longer a gauge for members ~minimum age

I was moreso refering to the "and see above for the rest" comment.

I do agree that there is some real asshats around here. I would say once a week i spend a few minutes typing a fanatic rant response to some troll or douche's idiotic post. 9 times out of ten however i just cancel the post in an effort to not display the same type of retard behavour and sink to thier level. This forum IMO has become rittled with whiners instead of drivers...which is not what it was meant for.

Back on top, there is some interesting tidbits in THIS (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?threadid=174812) thread about TD

[ercchry]

Originally posted by spike98


I was moreso refering to the "and see above for the rest" comment.

Back on top, there is some interesting tidbits in THIS (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?threadid=174812) thread about TD

yeah my post i posted as mibz posted his answered most of his points, and that thread about TD... i can not even remember why my cost went up haha, little while ago

[94boosted]

I am a little worried now about this now. I may have to give Meloche a call and see if they will be pricks about mods.

And to the OP in my old Talon I used a Plasma Cutter to cut out a portion of my Crash Beam, that way it gave me more protection over not having it at all, is that an option for you?

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by 94boosted
I am a little worried now about this now. I may have to give Meloche a call and see if they will be pricks about mods.


Keep in mind that if you call about your policy they'll probably record the questions you asked, so if you they say 'no mods' and you say screw it, then later get in an accidet, you'll be really fked.

[Coryz]

To Mount it higher doesnt require completely removing it only cutting out a portion.

Thanks for the input, this particular kit because of the size of the core looks really funny mounted below the crash bar (sticks out of the bottom of the bumper)

I may look at a kit that has a smaller core.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by Coryz
To Mount it higher doesnt require completely removing it only cutting out a portion.

Thanks for the input, this particular kit because of the size of the core looks really funny mounted below the crash bar (sticks out of the bottom of the bumper)

I may look at a kit that has a smaller core. I don't blame you for not wanting to have it stick out. It's ugly as hell.