It's not easy being green - 1971 TC

[Cheguava]

Sleurs Motorsport - Episode 33 covers the making of aluminum fuel tanks - see link below:-
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDdLgLopw8g

I was highly impressed with this man's skill set which is way above mine. Well worth watching.

In fact I think you'll find that whole series of value - (well, I did anyway)

I've watched quite a few of his series of videos - absolutely take my hat off to him. And if needs must, I would have had a crack at it. But I think this is an area where buying in is the right call for me.

[4129R]

Having had a slight petrol leak which resulted in whoomph, I decided the investment in two new shiny tanks from SJS was worth the investment.

The thought of another whoomph in my garage with my GT40 in it, was not a good thought.

Since fitting those new tanks, I sleep easier.

[Cheguava]

Thanks for all the informative and useful petrol tank advice. As the fear of whoooosh / Fooooooooom is at the back of my mind ever since my then girlfriend's Beetle developed a fuel leak 30 years ago, I'll be opting for shiny replacements made by professionals.

The other issue which has been on my mind is the door hinges. I ended up having to hack saw through the hinge pins to remove the doors, and then bought spanners on eBay to get the hinges off the doors, which turned out to be another partial success. Two of the sets of nuts unwound off the thread, one top, the bottom on the other side. Despite repeated dousings in releasing fluid, the feeling was that the nuts did not want to release their grip. At which point I removed the end of the hinge assembly with a cutting disc.

The week's other development was the tentative agreement of the body shop chap to take on the body restoration. I think he was doubtful of my ability to strip the shell, and I don't blame him, but fingers crossed that is going to take the shell off my hands and let me focus on the broken Meccano set below. So mindful of the need to get new hinge fittings, I bought a set of hinges off eBay, which should hopefully make the removal and refitting of the doors a doddle!

The issues I had getting the hinges off were a surprise, but then again, if the bolts had been there for 50 years, perhaps it's understandable. Either way, I'm genuinely buzzing at the thought of getting the body off to the hands of proper experts, leaving me with the easy oily bits. 

All of which brings me to today's  dumb question. Has anyone (preferably in the UK) got experience of insuring a car whilst half of it goes off to the menders?  My first thought is that this is a case for a specialist broker like Adrian Flux, but if anyone has a recommendation, that would be great.

[Kendo]

1) The shop doing my repaint definitely wanted the doors and trunk lids so he could ensure good door gaps and general fit, even though I had already painted those bits. So you might want to get those hinges working again before you send the body.

2) My car has been off the road for 10 years. Not wanting to pay for collision insurance during that time, I had State Farm cut the insurance back to fire and theft, the likely risks ($16-23/year over the years). Maybe your current insurance can cover something similar.

[BDA]

I have Lotus Supplies hinges which I’m pretty sure I installed before I gave the car to the paint shop. It’s easy to take the doors off and put back on again which makes them handy when having your body painted. The other advantage of them is that you can take the door off and only have to worry about adjusting the height when putting it back on. As Kendo says, you should give the paint/body shop all the pieces that you want painted.

Sorry, I’m not from the UK and I didn’t insure mine till I got it back on the road.

[4129R]

All of which brings me to today's  dumb question. Has anyone (preferably in the UK) got experience of insuring a car whilst half of it goes off to the menders?  My first thought is that this is a case for a specialist broker like Adrian Flux, but if anyone has a recommendation, that would be great.

I insure my Europas with Hagerty.

it is certainly worth giving them a call.

If not yet registered, they will insure the car using only the chassis number.

[Cheguava]

I insure my Europas with Hagerty.

it is certainly worth giving them a call.

If not yet registered, they will insure the car using only the chassis number.

I'll try Hagerty - the car is currently registered but SORNed.

Thanks for the other advice above from Kendo and BDA  on the body shop - I'll be giving them the hinges to let them mount the doors and front and rear closures

[EuropaTC]

Being controversial, if the car is in bits, is it really worthwhile insuring it ?  You could go for the purchase value but having stripped it down I'm not sure how they could realistically value something that's going to need (from the insurance company view) a load of labour spent to put it back together ?

The other thing is that if the body is going away for repair/paint then isn't it coming under the bodyshop's insurance whilst on their premises ?

Brian

[dakazman]

  In Florida, If your garage is attached to your home it is considered part of the Dwelling. Articles inside garage are sometimes listed in that portion of your homeowners insurance. I'd talk with your homeowners insurance if only for partial coverage.
 Dakazman

[Dilkris]

Being controversial, if the car is in bits, is it really worthwhile insuring it ?  You could go for the purchase value but having stripped it down I'm not sure how they could realistically value something that's going to need (from the insurance company view) a load of labour spent to put it back together ?
Brian

  entirely.
If Cheguava was lucky enough to secure a policy I would very much doubt if he would be successful in making a claim.... for what exactly, for how much, and how would it be impartially assessed?

[Cheguava]

Being controversial, if the car is in bits, is it really worthwhile insuring it ?  You could go for the purchase value but having stripped it down I'm not sure how they could realistically value something that's going to need (from the insurance company view) a load of labour spent to put it back together ?
Brian

  entirely.
If Cheguava was lucky enough to secure a policy I would very much doubt if he would be successful in making a claim.... for what exactly, for how much, and how would it be impartially assessed?

Good points both. I'm genuinely not sure how project insurance "works" and for that reason I think I probably need to speak to an insurer or broker to see if any policy would offer meaningful cover or be a wasted premium.  I think there probably is an assessable value, given that the bodyshell does have a value, and if it is stolen or destroyed, would have to be replaced - that's the essence of insurance. I'm not sure it has much value, given it's off to have a lot of work lavished on it, but clearly it has some. That would be a matter for an assessor, should a loss occur.  It's a valid point that the body shop should have cover for the items they are working on, so maybe I'm over thinking - it's a project that's cost a bit more than previous ones, and I'm trying not to  make any stupid mistakes.

[EuropaTC]

If you'd just bought the car then I reckon you could insure it for the purchase price as a restoration project, the potential problem is that it's now a collection of bits and I would expect any insurer to ask "why do you want to insure now when you didn't bother when you bought it ?". If they are really cynical they might think "here's a guy who's taken on too much and there's a claim on the horizon". Yep, I am very cynical but it's good to put yourself in the other guy's shoes.

My cars are insured with Heritage and at one point I seem to remember they did an "off road" policy for SORN cars undergoing restoration. I've always found them helpful on the phone so perhaps a call might be worthwhile. If it sounds promising then you've already got photos of the car "as bought" & bill of sale which is what I'd expect them to ask for. You could explain that you stored it and have just started restoration and whereas it was safe/secure in storage, now the bodyshell is being transported elsewhere for professional repairs and you'd like cover. That's all true.

As you say there is a value and being very cynical, that's in the log book, number plate and VIN plate on the bodyshell.  With a log book/plate you could stick it on a new body together with chassis/running gear and have a "restored" car which is registered at the DVLA as an historic vehicle. Whether anyone acknowledges that publicly is doubtful, but that's why we pay good money for a pile of bits with a Lotus badge on it.

Brian

[Cheguava]

Again, good points, and thanks for the tip on Heritage. Up to now the whole lot's been locked in a garage with a car in front of it, so not so much at risk unless it catches fire. Now the bodyshell is coming out and being delivered for repair and respray, theft and possible fire or damage comes into play. But if the insurers can't provide meaningful cover, so be it - I guess if it's stolen or damaged at the body shop, I take it up with them. Definitely worth a call to understand the up and downsides.

 

[4129R]

As a Europa is such a rare car, if it were stolen, we here on the forum would know about it and the chassis number etc, and it would be very hard to sell or display, especially in the UK where only 145 are supposed to be registered.

Fire is a much bigger risk/problem. 

[Cheguava]

As a Europa is such a rare car, if it were stolen, we here on the forum would know about it and the chassis number etc, and it would be very hard to sell or display, especially in the UK where only 145 are supposed to be registered.

Fire is a much bigger risk/problem.

Didn't realise that there were so few left, although I've never seen one on the road.  I am also considering a plumbed in engine bay extinguisher for the completed car - as well as replacing all fuel hoses with modern ethanol resistant equivalents. Hoping not to be ever making a claim!