Anyone who drives a customised car knows how difficult it can be to find a cheap insurance quote. Whether you have added simple modifications such as custom alloy wheels, a performance exhaust or increased the size of your engine, you need to tell your insurer if you want to be covered in the event of an accident.

The problem is that in the company’s eyes making these modifications to your car increases the risk of you having an accident. With an increased risk of accident comes higher premiums which can leave an owner wondering if the effort of building your dream motor has been worth it.

The trick to finding cheap modified car insurance is to track down an insurer that specialises in dealing with custom vehicles. You see, standard insurance companies don’t want to touch custom machines with a barge pole due to the fact they have little experience in the area of custom machines. They are unable to accurately quantify the risk you pose which leads them to quote premiums which are vastly overpriced.

A specialist insurer has the experience and patience to treat you as an individual to find a fair premium for your modified car. Seek this specialized modified insurers out and you will be rewarded with a quote which will leave much more money in your pocket.

A few things to remember when looking for cheap modified car insurance:

1. Be 100% truthful with the insurer about all modifications made to your vehicle. Failure to mention certain customisations may lead to your cover being null and void in any event that you need to make a claim.
2. Carrying out a search for Car insurance for modified cars online will cause you to find a good quote quicker and with much less hassle than any other method.
3. If you’re going to make major modifications to you car such as boring out the engine you should really get a quote before carrying out the work. Failing to find a reasonable price before undertaking major custom work such as this can lead to extortionate unforeseen premiums.

* Offer to keep your machine in the garage overnight.
* If you’re only going to drive the vehicle at weekends or during the summer months it will pay to get a quote for a limited mileage policy.
* Getting a security device fitted is a great way to get cheaper insurance. Not only will it reduce your premiums but it will reduce the likelihood of your pride and joy getting stolen by a thieving gypsy knob head. Trackers especially useful as they vastly increase the chances of getting your car back if it is stolen.
* Don’t use your vehicle for commuting.
* Stay away from major modifications such as boring out the engine.
* Work up a few years no claims bonus before you consider insuring a vehicle which has been heavily modified.

Custom car insurance is usually available for the following types of vehicles:

• Student cars
• Kit cars (Caterham, Cobras etc)
• American Imports
• Japanese Imports
• Customized cars
• Performance cars
• Hot hatches
• Replicas

Why do car insurers ask for higher premiums on modified vehicles? When you carry out modifications in the structure of cars, both you and your car represent a higher risk. Even minor modifications on the car can affect its performance on the road. These risks are identified by insurers and they would ask for higher premiums for a modified vehicle. Fortunately, there are useful techniques to get modified car insurance at affordable rates and some of them are described below:

Compare rates and features

You should take your time to compare modified car insurance quotes since this can help you save a lot of money. Receiving a large number of quotes and comparing them is not something enjoyable, however, if you want to make the most of your money, you should do whatever is necessary for you.

While you’re comparing rates and features of modified car insurance policies, you should read the fine print cautiously. Be aware of limitations and omissions in the policies. If you have any confusion about the coverage offered by various companies, don’t balk to ask questions. If you don’t want to talk to insurance agents, you need not call the insurer. Just send your queries through an e-mail and wait for the answers. Most reputable insurers would reply to your questions within a period of 48 hours so you can hope for a prompt reply for them.

Equip your car with safety devices

You can cut down on your modified auto insurance premiums if you install security devices like LoJack, tracking devices or alarms in your vehicle. When your car insurance premium is worked out, most insurance companies take into consideration the probable degree of risk involved. Higher risk attracts higher premiums. Fixing safety devices in your vehicle can successfully reduce the extent of risk. As a result, you end up paying a lower insurance premium.

Buy your insurance policies from the same insurer

If you aim to buy modified auto insurance at a more reasonable rate, you should buy all your insurance policies from the same insurance carrier. Most insurers offer discounts to dedicated customers. They do it so that the customers don’t go for any other company.

Look for discounts

You should look for specials such as limited mileage discounts and owner’s club discounts to lower your modified car insurance rate.