So you’re thinking about pimping your ride but are wondering what the risks may be? BP Ultimate Ride, a popular online game based on modifying your wheels (www.bpultimateride.co.za), has some do’s and dont’s to ponder before taking the plunge.
Things you should consider:
Decide on a look and remember that when it comes to car modding, less is more.
Do your homework. Research all tuners before you use them and get references.
If you want to do it yourself, take advice from experts, not novices.
Spend money on quality products that will last.
Do things in the right order.
Be realistic - if you want 200kW from a 1.4-litre engine, it’s possible, but won’t be worth the expense. Rather look into engine swaps where possible to give yourself a better base to start from.
Fit all the necessary gauges in the car to monitor the engine, meaning that if something critical goes wrong you can stop in time and contain the damage.
More power means you should also upgrade areas of safety such as brakes, suspension and tyres.
A heavily-upgraded car isn’t necessarily reliable. If you want your car to be your daily run-around it must still be easy to drive. Key considerations should include a smooth clutch, the suspension should be reasonably comfortable, and the cooling system must still support the modded engine in hot months. Make sure the modifications don’t drastically compromise your fuel economy either.
Most serious modifications require certification to confirm that they are safe and will not adversely affect the operation of the car. It would pay to discuss the entire project with a certifier before getting started, to make sure you won’t have any nasty surprises when it’s time to get everything signed off.
Maintain your ride to avoid costly repairs and maintenance later.
Things to watch out for:
Don’t look for the cheapest parts. Only support reputable, specialist shops that have extensive experience in modifying cars.
Don’t assume the spares are inferior should you experience problems after purchasing them from a reputable supplier. The product is as good as the fitter, so where possible try to have the fitment done by the supplier themselves.
If you’re doing it yourself, don’t cut corners. Save and complete your car section by section if need be.
Once you’ve created your dream ride don’t race it on the streets. Stick to track days and drag strips.
We chatted to Edward Paul, a spokesperson from Mutual and Federal, to better understand the insurance implications of modifying your car. According to Paul it is possible to increase the cover on a modified vehicle but, depending on the increased value, the car may be subject to an assessment by the insurance company.
It’s also not a cheap exercise, with the premium roughly estimated to increase in proportion to the value of the car. For example, if the car’s book value is R100 000 and the modification doubles the value, so too could it double the premium.
“We don’t receive a lot of these types of requests, in essence the insurance contract becomes an agreed value agreement,” concluded Paul.
We also queried how modifying your car impacts on its book value.
Motor industry ombudsman Johan van Vreden said: “Book values are based on factory standard cars as there really is no way to regulate the modifying industry.
“It’s really up to the seller to substantiate and negotiate a price over and above with the buyer”.