Huuum
I first read this thread a few days ago and had to walk away and think about it. I then made a few phone calls and ultimately sat and had a “Cup-O-Joe” with a few associates and here is what I was told once again. I say once again because similar topics have been discussed at our round table meetings before and I wanted to make certain that something new had not been brought the table before I said anything.
There are set of mandatory requirements in order to bring a licensable mass produced vehicle to market in the USA as well as other countries and yet the requirements can and do vary drastically from one location to another; everything from glass design, wheel design, crash testing (which not too many years ago in this country had a higher “NO” damage MPH minimum) whereas today it is a marginal joke. During the course of the conversation exhaust, superchargers, yadayadayada were all chatted about. Now having been a business consultant for 30ish year’s insurance with heavy reference on umbrella policies have always been a commodity used. However having shared this personal lines insurance such as automotive is where the topic ended. It was during the course of this conversation that several generic policies were looked at. No where in any of them was there a statement of exclusion based on modifications? If there was to be such exclusion then there would also have to be those items listed that were allowed. For example if one were to simply say you can not twist or tweak your gal “period” because the vehicle is insured based on OEM design and presentation then the secondary automotive market would be shut down; fat chance of this guys as this group is well healed and interconnected throughout our political and economic infrastructure. If this day was ever seen then there would no longer be color multi bladed wiper blades (LOL), no more personal choice wheels from the likes of HRE, Iforge, Neez, etc. There would be no alternate exhausts, no Whipple’s and the list would gone on forever with one exception. This exception would be that all of these items would then have to be sold as for “off road use only” and be supported with signed affidavits making it clear that you are completely on your own. Now having shared this many companies do require such a statement to be signed so as to attempt to mitigate any exposure they might have in this litigious world and yet in the end these signed statement do not absolve the insurance company from honoring a claim; but more on that issue in a minute.
Now here is the bigger reason that the comment about rear bumper delete not being even close to a viable reason for such a concern; a rear bumper is “NOT” required on vehicles but rather an impact zone is. For example; pick up trucks do no not have to be purchased with a rear bumper because there is a designed in impact zone however most people take having a bumper as the norm and something expected. I have owned and built Hotrod’s for 30 plus years and most have no bumpers and yet all are fully insured and sadly I know of many that have required insurance companies to repair and or replace them..
Fortunately in this country; the good ol’USA there remains a modicum of “Freedom of Choice” and even with the numerous agencies that our tax dollars fund put into place to protect us from our self we are still ultimately given the ability through the process of just enough rope to hang one’s self to do as we want.
Now back to the insurance issue again; most know that insurance companies are not in the business of repairing vehicles but rather in business to make money; they are simply money managers with a twist that through the practice of prudent investing hope to have an up side nickel on the table once the relationship comes to an end. It is during this process that (as we all do to some degree) they assess their potential up and downside and then purchase market share accordingly. In the case of the automobile insure companies they determine what states they want to sell in, the number and or value of the policies they want and or are able to sell based on their financial heath, as well as the style, type, and value of vehicles to include in this process. Now most vehicles will fit neatly within the “A Typical” predefined box however every once in a while a person must be insured through another that deals with a risk less than typical such as more expensive cars, a person with poor driving record, etc.
With this having been shared; there is no insurance company that can deny coverage based on personal tweaks done to a car. If this were even slightly possible then every finance company in this country would have to create their own insurance offering (mandatory I might add) to protect their investment while the average person drives a vehicle throughout the term of the typical finance term.
Can you imagine for the moment what GMAC would say if XYZ Insurance company said when notified of a vehicle needing to be repaired; “I am sorry but the asset of yours (meaning GMAC’s) that we insured for your customer is not covered because the bumper was off the car, the wiper blades were changed, there were custom wheels on it, there were two bald tires”.
Truly there is not reason to spend anytime thinking about it because it can not happen. However what can happen is because of an evaluation during the course of processing a claim a person’s risk can be reassessed and then future cost adjusted accordingly however even this is not based solely (by law it can not be so as to eliminate variables such as the subjective question; who is the brightest bulb in the group because for sadly far too many anything more than “BASIC” transportation or a bus pass is silly whereas to other driving basic transportation or a bus pass is silly) on the individual’s activities but rather the redefined investment/risk group that the individual falls into. The purchasing of “A-Typical” insurance policy regardless of the line(s) (meaning the commodity and or service associated with it) is regulated and monitored by “BIG BROTHER” and those such as Allstate or ? are simply one of the many allowed to market and do business within a predetermined playing field as long as they (meaning the insurance companies) do so within the predefined structure. As just a few examples; how old you are, where you live, how many miles you drive, your chosen deductible amount, how long have you been a licensed driver, record of tickets, record of accidents, married or single, are you the only licensed driver in the household as recognized by the address of record, are all individual items that can and generally do get considered as you are behind the scenes made to conform to a predetermined marketing/risk box.
IMO; when it comes to twisting and tweaking your gals you all have your personal canvass to play with. Companies such as Ford have agreed to participate in what are at time extremely rigid requirements during the building of vehicles for the masses however smaller private coach builders such as Panoz, Saleen in his early days, etc do not necessarily have to conform to many of the same requirements because their production offerings are below a specific number.
Now that all of this bantering back and forth about the rear bumper has taken place let me share that for those of you that think for so much as moment that the OEM rear bumper on the GT is more than a placating item I say that you need to take all of 5 minutes and remove it and then you will better understand. It is little more than a mid body curb feeler because if “any” impact was to occur at her ass the bumper would never even be felt. IMO the reason the bumper is on the car has more to do with what ‘MOST” people expect and maybe even a behind the scenes concession that Ford made with DOT based on the fact that as for example with a pick up truck they established that any impact damage initiated at her ass would be transferred throughout the rear drive train. Let me be clear; the OEM rear bumper will not protect the back of your gal from much of anything. All of the rear bumper components might weigh 10lbs; they have no structural support or ability to transfer any significant impact energy and furthermore the two small short extensions that the rear bumper is mounted on are extremely thin wall aluminum that can be physically manipulated with your hands.
Having shared this I think that in as much as some will never tweak their gals (perfect), some will paint, mold, and modify to the extent of their dreams and pocketbook allows (also perfect), and then others that will make what they refer to as acceptable minor tweaks (such as all I did was a pulley, or only wheels, or only subwoofer relocation) supposedly never fracturing the original mold; on this last comment I have to share that I feel that this is little more than mental rationalization. You are either in or out of the water as such are wet or dry; there is no gray area. Now whether one feels that a given tweak is out of the proverbial box or not is truly a subjective and self serving assessment generally shared as the means to justify what they have or are considering doing.
As such I purchase what I can afford and then enjoy my time with them never dependant or reliant on whether another supports or likes the direction that I take and I would encourage others to consider this position and in doing so “fully” support emotionally whatever direction that another takes “even” if in your world their direction seems strange or unorthodox because in doing so you have found the ability to enjoy and live albeit somewhat vicariously through another’s dream even if only for a moment..
I would “HATE” to be awakened from my dream and find 4 blue sedans at every intersection, a line of blue sedans as I traverse the highways, blue sedans in every garage, and then the typical morning news headline being “Another Underground Group of Custom Car Owners were Arrested during yesterday’s raid resulting in even more red and black cars being impounded. When will people realize that blue sedans are all that are allowed; the days of personal choice have long since come and gone”
I think that the gals were perfectly presented from Ford and once again a heartfelt “thank you” to all that made this possible and yet I saw her as an awesome canvass when compared to my completed painting. She was likely the dream realized of another to which my adding a few brush strokes made her my dream realized too.
FYI: I have my rear bumper off and it will remain so as her ass (IMO) is simply to cool looking to cover with a bar. I look at the various race cars from days gone past and she looks like she could have been there too. Now this is being shared as my personal vision and dream and in presenting it I do not mean to or desire to make it a component of yours
All the best.
Takes care
Shadowman
