What is the Insurance Procedure When Fitting A Car Engine?

When replacing a car’s engine with one of the same type, the car will continued to be covered as before. However, if the car is stolen, you will need to notify the insurance company and the police of the new engine’s serial number. If you’ve ever seen a collector car auction, you may hear the phrase “matching numbers:” this is a car in which the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the engine matches that of the car body, showing that the car still has the original engine. When you buy a new engine, the number will be different from the rest of the car, and if it goes to a chop shop, tracking it will be difficult. Having this information will make your car easier to track.

Swapping Engines

When swapping the engine for something different, there are a couple more hurdles to go through: insurance policies will not pay on a car that has an engine different from what they are insuring.

First, an engine swap must be legally licensed to be insured. Even if the car still has current tags, it needs to pass local emissions and safety testing once the new engine has been installed. This includes cars which are primarily for racing, but are still driven on public roads: depending on the sanctioning body, you may be able to build a car that can meet both street and racing regulations at once, or with a few modifications that can be made once you reach the track.

Rates Increase as the Power of the Engine Increases

Assuming that you are using a more powerful engine, insurance rates will probably increase because of a higher perceived risk. You may also want to add additional insurance: basic insurance coverage will pay for the vehicle’s unmodified value, excluding the value of the motor. With crate motors costing thousands of dollars, it makes sense to spend a little extra to protect your investment.

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