TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Aug 08, 2024 12:48 pm

How's it going?

How do you guys/gals insure your Baja's for the street?
I'm going through hell trying to find a company that will insure my car.

Trying to get it insured for an "agreed" value instead of "market" value.
Geico will give me $3500 if the car is wrecked. Which is an insult considering I've got at least $10k into it.

All the classic car insurance companies have rejected me because the car is modified and is not in pristine condition. As soon as they see the pictures and they see its modified for off road use its an immediate "NO".

Yet you can trick out a classic Camaro for the drag strip and that's ok in their eyes. I've asked all of them how that's ok but a Baja bug is not? They all said its because its for "off-road" and is too high of a "risk". Are you kidding me?! That's a joke right?! Nope not a joke... Hagerty advertises on their main website page that they insure modified cars and race cars with a pic of a $100k+ Pro Street drag car! Yet they wont insure a $10k Baja Bug. WTF?! The Hagerty CA regional manager herd my opinion on that matter.

Had I known it was going to be this difficult I would've made an 11 inspired car instead of a traditional Baja. That way at least it looks like a "stock" car to the untrained eye.

That roll cage everyone told me not to do... I should've listened.

Any help with this unspoken topic would be of great help!

Thu Aug 08, 2024 1:10 pm

I use State Farm, and I have it insured for an agreed upon value which is what I think it would cost to replace it within reason.

I had to send pics and we had to agree on the value. But it was painless.

-Joe

Thu Aug 08, 2024 1:16 pm

I'll try them out. Thanks!

Thu Aug 08, 2024 2:13 pm

Might see if you have a "independent insurance agent" in town and what they can do for you.....

For a while I had my dune buggy with Progressive for a agreed on amount.... The independent agency was my "agent"

Thu Aug 08, 2024 3:47 pm

There is a difference between and agreed value and a stated value policy. Make sure you know the difference and what you are purchasing. Many insurance agents do not know the difference.

Try AAA-maybe.

Let us know the outcome.

Thu Aug 08, 2024 5:29 pm

Thanks for the replies.

From what I've learned these past few days is that The majority of insurance companies that offer classic car insurance use another company.
For instance Progressive's Drive insurance is actually through Hagerty.
Rally Insurance company uses Grundy for their "classic's" section, etc.

I'm not sure if this is a recent change of events or not but they all seem to have the same rules to their policies.

Though I'm waiting to hear back from Grundy I'm guessing their response will be like the rest.

I reached out to State Farm this afternoon as recommended.

Will know more tomorrow.

Thu Aug 08, 2024 5:54 pm

Hagerty and Grundy gave me the finger my my rail/buggy even though the seller had it with Grundy. A local agent got me covered woth agreed value as "VW Buggy" with Progressive. They must have a category. I have a Beelte with Hagerty for around 300 per year and this with Progressive is around $700 per year with 8k agreed.

Thu Aug 08, 2024 7:44 pm

Also, I understand comprehensive and collision insurance and having your Baja insured as a classic for more than actual cash value which is depreciation determined by age, mileage and condition. So what happens when you are not at fault and the persons at fault liability insurance going to pay for only actual cash value? I know in my state, no fault covers medical costs etc. I thought gap insurance is only for two year old or newer vehicles. In Alabama, state law dictates that your car is a total loss when repairs will amount to at least 75% of its value. 68 beetle is not even listed on Kelly blue book only goes back to 1992.

Thu Aug 08, 2024 8:12 pm

A quote from my local State Farm agent about an hour ago:
Our classic car option is only available when a car is in "mint" condition being driven less than 500 miles per year because it's designed for collector/showing cars.

How do you get around the “Will this be used off road?” Question. You can say NO but the car has obviously been modified specifically for that purpose.

The other question I have is how long ago did you get the car insured? Maybe a lot of you are grandfathered into a policy?

In CA all insurance companies now use a 6 month policy period. You have to renew your coverage every 6 months! Meaning they can decide to drop you for whatever reason after that period of time. What a racket!

If Grundy declines me then I’ll have to go with Geico and just eat the cost of all my hard work if something happens to the car. Which would really suck.

Thu Aug 08, 2024 10:29 pm

I know your pain,
My buddy has a Mercedes restoration shop they Full on race 190SL and Gullwing cars have Hagg insurance no problem. He gave me a number for a big suit he was very clear (Its an Off road car) no dice all I wanted was 10k if it gets stolen from my garage that's it. NOPE They have a 83 JEEP scrambler its seen more dirt then tar no problem full Hagg insurance its BS

That's why I stopped at 10K. Its a nice Baja but if its gone, I'm sad but not ruined if I save another 20k ill go 10K more in possibly but everything is getting more expensive. I would rather do a 15x15 concrete slab and enjoy my topless wife in a hot tub then a (mid/long travel setup.) Then I have best of both worlds. Stock travel Baja's can get along just fine and I have a hot tub waiting when I get back :-k

Lite ning Bug wrote: Also, I understand comprehensive and collision insurance and having your Baja insured as a classic for more than actual cash value which is depreciation determined by age, mileage and condition. So what happens when you are not at fault and the persons at fault liability insurance going to pay for only actual cash value? I know in my state, no fault covers medical costs etc. I thought gap insurance is only for two year old or newer vehicles. In Alabama, state law dictates that your car is a total loss when repairs will amount to at least 75% of its value. 68 beetle is not even listed on Kelly blue book only goes back to 1992.

Yes right on the money^^^^^^^^ In California your chances of being rear ended by a uninsured motorist Is 99.6% happened to me twice. If you have full coverage you must accept the amount and leave the car (cant take even one lug nut) or.... take a much lesser amount and buy it back its a total waste of money. Its going to cost more then the bug (market) is worth every 1.5 years. You much better off getting the $200 yearly (basic insurance) from Hagerty thru progressive. If some jerk side swipes your ride then you find a new body and switch it over. Even if you had full coverage its pointless they are going to give you 2 grand from the jerks insurance to replace a shit box stock Bug. But that's not going to even happen because they wont have insurance so your betting on them doing a hit and run so you can (hopefully get the agreed value thru your insurance) That's just going to raise the insurance on the rest of your cars its a Sh!t Show.

Fri Aug 09, 2024 1:50 pm

Alrighty, good and confusing news.

I went and applied through Progressive's classic car program. Which takes you directly to Hagerty's website but at the top it says Hagerty/Progressive.

Same quote info as before same coverage except I lowered the "agreed" value to $10k instead of $15k as DesertSasquatch recommended.
Lowered the annual mileage from 2500 to 1500.

Got a call 10 min ago from a Hagerty agent. He said all we need is payment and we can get that policy started for you.
Umm... ok. Thinking to myself why are they accepting me now when they rejected me two days ago? Whatever, take my $208!
This time I never even had to send them any pictures of the car!

Got the ID card emailed to me just now!

What an absolute shit show this whole insurance industry is!

For anyone else out there going through this mess, Progressive's classic car program through Hagerty worked out for me.

I used their standard online quoting application.
Listed the car as a Beetle.
Driven less than 1500mi per yr.
Car's value: $10k
The only option I selected was that the frame was "structurally modified". I did not check the "tubbed wheel wells/roll cage box".
You have to specify that its not your daily driver and that its garage stored. No pictures required.
Select what "grade/condition" your car is in. I chose "very good".
There was no submission of current odometer readings.

If you try and go straight through Hagerty themselves you'll likely be rejected after you send in the required pictures for their underwriter to review.

Lets hope I never have to file a claim with them, I cant imagine what a cluster duck that would be.

Thanks guys for all your advice and suggestions!

Sun Aug 11, 2024 5:29 pm

Mon Aug 12, 2024 9:14 am

Even if you had a full coverage policy with an agreed value. I doesn't cover off road accidents It covers what they call normal use. Now state farm is crazy expensive here in CA and they MIGHT cover off road use but I doubt it. If you get a rock from a dirt bike in the windshield yes you could claim it happened on the road sure but its cheaper to pay out of pocket. Same for a mangled fender you built it you can fix it. If you get rear ended at a stop light your not going to throw the whole bug away it has thousands of good parts your going to rebuild. You built it once you can rebuild it better.

Lock up your garage real good, build in some anti theft features for around town and put the money you would spend on insurance in the bank. I like the Caterpillar battery cut off switch with the removable key and built my throttle linkage with the quick disconnect pivots just drop both in my pocket when out and about. If you have the locking column turn the wheels as well.

Fri Sep 20, 2024 11:30 am

Well,

Tried

Hagerty's got denied - American Classic with my local Allstate denied

now about to try Grundy this is BS...

so pissed...

Fri Sep 20, 2024 1:17 pm

I'd imagine trying to insure a rail type buggy is going to be even harder than a baja.

The shady route you could try: https://www.dirtlegal.com/

They have people they recommend for insurance.

Fri Sep 20, 2024 7:46 pm

My Rat Rod Trail Rail Buggy was insured with Liberty for several years but they wouldn't renew it. No reason with no claims at all. Oh well. I went with Foremost now. I did have to get an appraisal.