assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

My truck has an assembled vehicle title. Its year born was 2000. Issue is to get the insuarnce to work with the title for the plates insurance card must say its a 2000 assembled vehicle. Ins doesn't know what it is even after I tell them what it is. Does anyone have any experiance with this? It sucks I can't drive it, I worry it will get towed due to no plates. 3 different companies have said no thanks.Posted via Mobile Device

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

Keep checking, not all of them can be that dumb. Have you tried a collector car insurance company like Haggerty?

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I don't know how they are now but State Farm used to be pretty savvy on off the wall insurance issues when I was with them. They covered my 48 on Stated value with no hassles.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

If you are going to use it as a hobby truck and can meet the specialty insurers requirements (driving only on weekends and holidays or on special events like power tour, mileage limit, cannot be used for business, etc.) then they will understand the issue. If you want to insure it as a daily driver (like my 64 Chevelle) then you are probably going to have an issue unless you have a long term relationship with a good agent.

I shopped my insurance a few years ago and could not find another company that would insure the Chevelle as a daily driver and did not want to risk having the insurance invalidated because of a technicality. He told be as long as I have continual insurance of one or more old vehicles I can just swap them around. When the truck is done it becomes the DD and the car gets minimal fire, theft, etc. coverage.

As long as the truck is in pieces and not a running vehicle it is insured under my homeowners as personal property like tools, etc. up to the regular limits. When it becomes drivable, I need to get minimum fire, theft on it based on an agreed on value. I have been with Allstate since 1974 with only three claims in that time, none for the last 20 years, I think they now own Haggarty too.

If you have a lot of tools and equipment you might want to check your homeowners policy limits. I pay a little extra for a rider because I added up the value of what I had and found it was 4+ times what they would pay me. Kind of like a rider you can get for silverware or guns.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

Have State Farm on my 54,since 2000 no problem agreed value.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I've had Allstate since about 98 and at that time they had no troubles insuring older cars as daily drivers. Heck, my newest vehicle is a 93 and they get older from there. My agent put my restored truck on a policy which is typically used for OHRVs and other limited use equipment and it was less than $100/year. When I moved to New England the agent here seemed to have no interest in helping me save money and kept making changes that cost more. I found new agent and moved the truck to Hagerty because they're more flexible about driving the vehicle.

Now here's a question... when you talk to an agent you might ask them if they can adjust how the vehicle is entered in the computer so it comes out as a "2000 assembled vehicle" You know, Year: 1955 Make: Chevrolet Model: Pickup 2000 Assembled Vehicle

Something like that so it technically does the job for insurance and the state.

And really, why is the insurance company having trouble using the description off the title anyway? This can't be the first time this has ever happened in your state. There must be someone at a body shop that's rebuilt a wreck and gone through this before.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I think the main issue farmers and bristol west had is that I wass honest about the fact it is a 48 gmc body on a 2000 tahoe chassis and drivetrain( I live in a neighborhood that cool stuff disappears from more then I like.) Not wanting to get screwed if I need to make a claim. With it saying 2000 on the title they won't run it as an antique or classic , I think they just don't want to deal with it. They don't want to come look at it or have me send them pics either.
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Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

Photos of the truck when you go into an agent might help with your explanation. Especially if it is a finished truck with nice paint and interior.

A simple, "this is the truck that I want to insure, yes it is a 55 Chevrolet that was rebuilt from a bare frame up and was inspected in 2000 and that is the reason it is titled as a 2000 assembled vehicle."

The real problem now is a lot of agents plug stuff in the computer and if it doesn't come up in front of them on the screen they don't know what to do.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I have grundy and I have no complaints. The restrictions that OrrieG stated are correct. I have to keep it garaged, and it can not be used as a daily driver. Those are basically my restrictions I do not have a mileage restriction and I can take it to work every now and than, I can do power tours, hot august nights, etc. I have no desire to use my car or truck as a daily driver they are hobby vehicles and thats something to consider when you are looking for insurance.

I have AAA and I know they now offer classic car insurance, they have been trying to get me to switch over because I do my DMV services with them. I can't tell you anything other than the offer it.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

That much cusomizing will throw them off. With that much work you really need to be at a specialty insurance company. Regular insurance companies generally won't pay out more than book value based on on a stock vehicle. You have to jump through hoops including getting a professional appraisal for modified vehicles and then they'll give you rates based on using that vehicle like a regular car. Get some photos and contact a few of the collector companies and I'll bet you'll have a different experience.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

That might work if he is over 50 but won't if he is under 50. I don't know about their car insurance but their house insurance was one of the most restrictive I have seen about what you could do on your place. They wouldn't insure my friends place because he let his neighbor put cattle out in the 2 acre pasture behind the house.

This is something we haven't really covered when we talk frame swaps. Even though the trucks usually drive and handle much better what is the insurance companies view on frame swaps?

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

Do you have the title for the 48 body? I work in total losses for a major insurance company and have to deal with title issues a lot. NE is one I don't handle but maybe if you have the title for the 48 body the insurance company may insure it as a 48. If I remember I will look at work for NE rules on titling.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I have had my 57 truck insured for over three years while it has sat in my garage in pieces. I just recently started driving it so I called my State Farm agent and he said there was no problem with it being driven regularly. My policy does state that it is driven less than 7500 miles per year but I also have that on my Suburban policy.

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

Insurance normally doesn't care about a frame/ engine swap as long as it still is titled as something they can plug into the computer and everyone can agree on a value for it. The issue with an assembled title is they can't plug it into the computer so it ends up giving issues. Some of the vehicles I have seen on the road are pretty sketchy and I can understand why they could have an issue. Allstate got me a policy through hagerty for under $150 a year. Moral of the story is make sure your title is all figured out before you do any major mods. Mine already had the assembled title, if it hadn't I would have gotten it done as a 48 gmc 1/2 ton. I can't put historic tags on it because it was " reborn" in 2000.
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Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I'd be looking for a 48 parts truck with good title. Big Bertha, my 1957 LCF, is on an 03 GMC W4500 Series truck chassis. Still titled as a 1957.....

Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

I'm not real worried about it now that I have it all figured out and insured. If I was going to do it again I would have pulled the vin plate off my 53 gmc parts cab or found a different cab to start with.
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Re: assembled vehicle insurance issues
 

My recent Hagerty story is when I applied for my '57 Chevy Panel, I told them I would drive it over 5k per year and would be parking it outside of my garage, not inside. They even called me on the phone to clarify my statements.
They cheerfully refunded my premium and sent me a cancellation letter.