Biggest concerns with road-illegal s/c? - LotusTalk

Bollx · 08-21-2008, 03:06 PM

I totally get the concerns over fix-it tickets and the risk of an over-investigative ref, but are there more significant concerns also?

What about getting in an accident and being refused coverage by your insurance company for having illegal mods?

One stage further - the accident is serious and someone is seriously injured or dies: are there additional ramifications over having an illegal supercharger, and hence an illegal vehicle?

I’m thinking of a Katana, and I can certainly sleep at night knowing it’s not CARB certified, but the insurance/accident scenario is troubling me.

Thanks.

buzzy · 08-21-2008, 03:27 PM

I'm confused. You are saying that modifications that increase horsepower are illegal and your insurance company can deny coverage in the event of an accident because of them?

I know that's the case in the UK, but we're not in the UK...

Chris Mackey · 08-21-2008, 03:31 PM

Nobody would ever know. The Katana is pretty discrete.

Randy Chase · 08-21-2008, 04:24 PM

And if you create a new user account to ask the question, they can't trace you.

Bavarian Motorist · 08-21-2008, 04:27 PM

Reliability would my biggest concern, none of the stuff you said

Bollx · 08-21-2008, 06:33 PM

LOL! - Waaaay too much humour on this board.

Took me hours to set up another user account.

Simply put, I was just wondering about an Insurance Company potentially refusing to pay up on the grounds that the car they insured was no longer the car I was driving.
Along that line, I recently pointed out to my insurers that my Range Rover Sport was actually Supercharged, not the HSE that was on my certificate. “Good job you told us that”, they said “as you might have had an issue if you’d crashed it and we’d noticed”.

Probably BS, but that’s what I’m trying to determine here. No, they probably wouldn’t find out, but if they did, after a write-off for example, then what?

Also, I wonder if there is a negative angle to injuring someone with a vehicle that isn’t road legal. In an injury situation I imagine the offending car is gone over with a fine toothcomb, and if the car was discovered to be road-illegal I can see the situation getting very dark very quickly.

Bollx · 08-21-2008, 06:43 PM

Buzzy - As I understand it, The Katana is explicitly "for track use only", hence my Sherlock Holmes-like deduction that it's illegal on the road.

I'm really coming across as an over-cautious law-abiding wanker on this thread. Apologies.

dustylax · 08-22-2008, 05:07 PM

normaly if you have photo's and reciepts for parts on the car in an accident most companies will still cover it.

08-21-2008, 03:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bollx Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 4	Biggest concerns with road-illegal s/c? I totally get the concerns over fix-it tickets and the risk of an over-investigative ref, but are there more significant concerns also? What about getting in an accident and being refused coverage by your insurance company for having illegal mods? One stage further - the accident is serious and someone is seriously injured or dies: are there additional ramifications over having an illegal supercharger, and hence an illegal vehicle? I’m thinking of a Katana, and I can certainly sleep at night knowing it’s not CARB certified, but the insurance/accident scenario is troubling me. Thanks.

08-21-2008, 03:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
buzzy n. Chiefly British. Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Norwalk, CT Posts: 663 Images: 10	I'm confused. You are saying that modifications that increase horsepower are illegal and your insurance company can deny coverage in the event of an accident because of them? I know that's the case in the UK, but we're not in the UK... __________________ UK Expat with an 05 Starlight Black Elise \| Touring \| Hardtop \| Starshield \| 06 LEDS \| 07 Badging \| SS Brake Lines \| Lotus Sport Indicator Stalks \| Polk Speakers \| Alpine iDA-X001 \| Multivex Mirrors \| S111 Lidbone \| S111 Bootie New Ride: 08 Black Magic GTI \| Autobahn Package "I wish I was still a teenager, I used to know everything back then" ' or '1' = '1

08-21-2008, 03:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
Chris Mackey Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,942	Nobody would ever know. The Katana is pretty discrete. __________________ 2006 Elise, Ardent Red, Black Pack, LSS wheels, shocks and springs. 55 Shot Zex nitrous kit.

08-21-2008, 04:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
Randy Chase El Jefe - Agent 111 Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: San Diego and where ever the roads lead Posts: 23,947 Images: 761	And if you create a new user account to ask the question, they can't trace you. __________________ *** V E R I T A S * A E Q U I T A S *** We have been feeling the buzz since 2002 2006 Noble M400. Getrag tranny, Quaiffe LSD, Hinged clams. Duratec dual turbo V6. Hoosier 315-18 tires. 2350 pounds. 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds. ..is a stranger in an open car. Tempt you in and drive you far away

08-21-2008, 04:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bavarian Motorist Live to Drive Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rye, NY Posts: 8,388	Reliability would my biggest concern, none of the stuff you said __________________ Driving a Lotus Exige with sticky... performance tires on icy roads or in standing water is about as much fun as walking a high wire treated with WD-40 - Car & Driver BWR supercharged... I suppose I "got the power" now??

08-21-2008, 06:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
Bollx Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 4	LOL! - Waaaay too much humour on this board. Took me hours to set up another user account. Simply put, I was just wondering about an Insurance Company potentially refusing to pay up on the grounds that the car they insured was no longer the car I was driving. Along that line, I recently pointed out to my insurers that my Range Rover Sport was actually Supercharged, not the HSE that was on my certificate. “Good job you told us that”, they said “as you might have had an issue if you’d crashed it and we’d noticed”. Probably BS, but that’s what I’m trying to determine here. No, they probably wouldn’t find out, but if they did, after a write-off for example, then what? Also, I wonder if there is a negative angle to injuring someone with a vehicle that isn’t road legal. In an injury situation I imagine the offending car is gone over with a fine toothcomb, and if the car was discovered to be road-illegal I can see the situation getting very dark very quickly.

08-21-2008, 06:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bollx Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 4	Buzzy - As I understand it, The Katana is explicitly "for track use only", hence my Sherlock Holmes-like deduction that it's illegal on the road. I'm really coming across as an over-cautious law-abiding wanker on this thread. Apologies.

08-22-2008, 05:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
dustylax MR-2.0T Join Date: May 2007 Location: NY Posts: 297	normaly if you have photo's and reciepts for parts on the car in an accident most companies will still cover it. __________________ Email: Dustin@nolimitmotorsport.com 1.866.381.4618 - ask for Dustin

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