MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Hi, I am in need of some urgent help, as you may be aware I am bringing my 2003 TF over to the US for a 7 week tour and I thought that I had insurance from Grundy but they have just e-mailed me saying that there underwriters have declined my application.
So do any of you know a insurance firm that will cover my car ???
Many Thanks in advance for any help with this problem.
Roger
Roger -
I don't know if any of these firms can provide coverage for your particular needs, but I would suggest you get in contact with them to make inquiries:
www.jctaylor.com
www.hagerty.com
www.americancollectors.com
www.statefarm.com
Roger, I just contacted my state farm agent to see if this is something that he would do.
I have had State Farm Insurance for my classic cars for many, many years.
Ill let you know what he says, and if it is something that they'll do, I'll give you his info.
Brian
I am completely naive in these affairs - but I thought a car had to be 25 years old before it could be driven in the U.S. without meeting safety requirements?
Many thanks for the quick response so far.
James R I'll look at them tomorrow.
jfrankr don't know why?
Brian M looking into them with the help of Paul (KLUTZ)
Terry you can bring a modern car in as a temporary import. for up to a year.
many thanks again
If all else fails perhaps you might be able to bring it into Canada and then just drive it across the border into the US on temporary Canadian plates.
Jack.
Will your own insurance company not cover it?
If not it might be worth trying a couple of brokers. Somebody somewhere should be able to do it.
Hi Brian,
Roger,
my insurance agent sent me this contact info, try them!!
Brian
Here is the contact info…
Condon & Skully (800) 257-9496 ask for Karen
Hope this helps…
JMM
Roger,
I'll call my Nationwide agent in the morning and see what information he might
be able to offer. If he can do anything I'll send you his name and phone number.
George Herschell
Roger, the number that I gave you is NOT state farm, I have a really good relationship with my agent, he found someone that does this sort of thing, but, it's not sf, they can't help you!
Brian
Many thanks you guys are great, Thanks to all that have responded so far and for any more info still to come, this has given me a lot of places to try and hopefully one of them can help me and I will let you know how I get on.
Fingers crossed I can get to meet a lot of you in 9 weeks time and say THANK YOU in person.
Roger
This can be a real problem as you may need an address in the US to qualify for local insurance. I had the same problem in the UK, bought my Jubilee there and wanted to drive it to Hull to put on boat to Brevik in Norway. NO LUCK no body in the UK would insure me. I had to use transport van to get car to port. Once home our insurance will cover us anywhere in Europe with Norsk plates but not before. Best advice I was given was by the MG CC in Abindgton was to contact the organizers of historic or classic international ralleys and ask them for their insurance company. Let us know as I did not have time to do that.
Post your trip schedule when you get a chance...If you are passing through Texas, maybe we can meet for lunch!
Thanks for answering that one for me Drake, hope you can make it to Greesboro for the gathering, thats if I can get insurance.
Hi Paul,
Yes just got the answer I was expecting, it's a no go, but I'm still looking, btw you will need to keep it a secret when we meet up as I think you are going to be taped to buy Malissa a F if she see's mine.
Thank's for trying. Roger
Roger,
Where there's a will, there's a way. I remember running into some Germans that had brought their Mercedes B-class cars to the US, as it was cheaper than renting a car for a month (or something like that). I'm sure that they had found some form of coverage, whether through a rider on their home insurance, or a temporary policy to cover them while they were here.
I called my insurance agent and he said he did not know how he might be able to do that, but he is a broker for AllState, and I doubt that the larger companies are the ones you will be able to work with. Try the collector car companies, like Hagerty, as they are more of a niche player and might be able to help you out or point you in the right direction, even though your car is not an old one.
If you are unable to find anything through insurance brokers listed here, you might try:
[list=1]
[*] Rental car companies. They provide insurance on their cars for short terms, you never know.
[*] Contact the USDOT department in charge of the "Show and Display" provision in importation laws. You aren't using "Show and Display", but they might be familiar with insurance coverage, as a policy is a requirement for importation (it's how they limit your annual miles driven)
[*] Automobile Magazine: They had a story about a guy who imported a McLaren F1, a Giuguario show car, and somethign else recently, and they might be able to offer some leads.
[*] The importer you are working with to import your car, or even another one. They ought to have had customers do this very thing before and might know where to go.
[*] A travel agent in your country. They might have had others do this before.
[/list]
Kind of a wild goose chase, but if you turn over enough stones, you'll figure it out. God knows that you aren't the first to do this and that the others have found insurance, too.
Tom
What a Royal Pain in the rear trying to insure a car that isn't deemed a car in reality - in the country (US). There's no infrasturcture to base the insurance on - for the car. I always dreamed in one corner of my mind of doing what you're wanting to do - now though, not a dream to me. I'll stick with my old 79 B.
Though - I do hope you get it insured.
Only one problem with that Paul I have a TF and it's only 7 years old so you would have to store it for 8 years before you could use it.
Roger
Well, technically, if you bring a TF anniversary edition over, it is legal to import via the Show and Display exemption.
According to the folks at DOT, however, there is no way to make it meet the EPA regulations, and there is no similar exemption for them. This is the reason no TF has been brought in under Show and Display, at least according to DOT.
Anyone know of a way to swap in an EPA legal engine into a TF?
Tom
Roger,
I checked with my insurance agent and he said there is no way he could do anythinig for you.
Why don't you contact the MMM group in the UK and find out what they did when they brought
their cars over some time ago. Granted those were vintage MG's but hey must have had some
type of insurance.
Just a thought
George Herschell
Okay, somebody else did this exact thing last summer. He and the new missus were on their honeymoon. Can't remember who it was, :S but surely he had insurance?
Contact your countryman and member of this bbs, David Tetlow. He shipped his MGB to Baltimore for summer 2008 and although he had insurance issues like yours, they did get resolved somehow. hth
Paul
That's it, Paul. It was David I was thinking of. It sucks getting old(er).
