Miata Mailing List: November 1993, Message #46
sponsored by



     


   From: Al Jenab 
Subject: RE>Re: mx5 brakes and more power (fwd)
   Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 14:27:22 -0500

Jeff,
Regarding aftermarket turbo/superchargers:  My GEICO (I know, I know) renewal 
forms have a little questionnaire with a line about "Is this car turbocharged 
or supercharged?"  Rumor has it that if you are brain-damaged enough to say 
yes, you get dropped, or your rates suddenly jump.  It's a good idea, IMHO, to 
not try to get re-imbursement provisions for perfomance equipment.  You clue 
in the insurance Nazis that you're a menace to society and you'll end up 
paying more in the long run.

I had a Rabbit GTI for a while that I had spent much (relative to my student 
days) money souping up and customizing.  It was stolen and then recovered (
actually the thieves were caught dismembering it in a barn).  When I asked, 
the insurance company wouldn't formally re-imburse me for the extra pieces, 
just the "book" value of the stock vehicle.  However, they were very generous 
in estimating that value so I didn't too feel bad.  This wasn't GEICO, it was 
Kemper.  As far as the Miata goes, I'd be nervous about letting some of these 
guys know I had upped HP by 50%.  Especially considering that the current good 
rates are based on low power.  If we enthusiasts worry about needing more 
brakes with extra power, imagine what the Ralph Nader types think.
-Al

--------------------------------------
Date: 11/3/93 1:48 PM
To: Al Jenab
>From: Jeff Maurer

Forwarded message:
> From: Herb Samuels 
> To: Multiple recipients of list 
> Subject: Re: mx5 brakes and more power
> Date: 	Wed, 3 Nov 1993 13:15:50 -0500
<...>
> perfect.  Although adding the power is not cheap, it transforms the
> Miata the way Mazda should sell the car and would sell the car in the
> U.S. if it were not for Mazda's concerns about the cost of insurance.

Ah, yes, Herb touches on a subject I was curious about.  When we talk
about turbo/super charging the Miata vs. buying an RX7 or MR2 turbo it
would seem that lower insurance rates would be one reason to consider
the Miata.  So does anyone know how the insurance companies view aftermarket
power boosts?  Are you violating the agreement (assuming that you don't
tell them about the changes), or do they simply cover the value of the 
stock car and not the aftermarket parts/labor?  Or will insurance cover 
the car and the aftermarket parts?  (Seems unlikely - however the parts 
_are_ bolted on and therefore part of the car, which seems to be the
qualifier for stereo equipment.)
            _
            /        Jeff Maurer, Staff Analyst
     _  ___/ _ __   Service & Quality Apps, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
     / /  / / / /  Uucp: ...!uunet!sequent!jdm
    / /__/_/   /  Internet: jdm@sequent.com
 __/             (503) 578-5062

"Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand."
 Ignorance and prejudice and fear go hand in hand."
Neal Peart, RUSH