I think the point is that you WANT your insurance company to know about those modifications so you can make some sort of claim if it gets stolen. If the car is now worth $25,000 and disappears one day, you’re not going to be too happy if your insurance company offers you $500 in replacement value.
But, by the same token, if you can’t afford to insure it for that amount, you can just not do so. If I spend $300 on a POS, and someone decided to put $15K of bling on it, what do I care if it’s stolen? It still only cost me $300.
My current car has no insurance on it. If someone steals it, then I’ll just have to buy another one.
Waverly, I must respectfully disagree. I’ve owned many beaters in my time (in order); a 1980 Chevy Camaro 6-cylinder (12 years old when I bought it)), a 1975 Ford Maverick 6-cylinder (enough said), a 1977 Chevy Camaro (that couldn’t pass smog in Cali), a 1975 Maverick V-8 (that didn’t idle and couldn’t be driven 5 miles without overheating), and a 1991 Honda Civic (with a bent sub frame).
All of these cars were bought* because I needed transportation at the time, beyond what my mountain bike provided. Had Pimp My Ride been around back then, I would have gladly played the fool on TV to get reliable transportation.
In one sense, Pimp My Ride is fake; the “client/guest” HAS to be informed ahead of time to get the proper reaction. But, based on me and my friends past rides, the vehicles and their owners circumstances are legit.
The mods done to the vehicles are legal within the state of California; while various PD/SD/CHP can, and do, issue “fix-it” tickets, the only thing required to register a car in Cali are a smog certificate, proof of insurance, and title.
Peace – DESK
the Honda was OK when I bought it, the bent sub frame was due to an accident afterworlds
Yup. Tis true. Inspection when you buy a used car (usually already done by the seller). Emmisions every two years and that’s it in Maryland.