Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: terry paget on 27 February 2017, 17:44:28

Title: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: terry paget on 27 February 2017, 17:44:28
When I put my Police Special Omega 3.2 into comparison sites they tell me the reg.no. says it's an Elite automatic. When I tell them it's a manual transmission  they think it's an import. In the past I suspect brokers have just nodded it through. Do any insurers understand police specials?
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: TheBoy on 27 February 2017, 17:50:47
PM me reg, in case it left factory as an auto, in which case, you'd have to declare as a mod
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 27 February 2017, 17:56:56
I frequently had this argument. The car is what it is.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 27 February 2017, 18:02:18
Admiral recognised mine when it was last on the road. Might help.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: zirk on 27 February 2017, 18:04:04
One of my Omega Specials the 3.2 Manual Saloon used to come up as a 3.2 Vectra, another the 3.2 Manual Estate would come up as Omega Special with zero Doors, I had some older ones (MV6 Police) would come up as Elites or MV6 Elite, its just luck of the draw as who and how it was registered.  ::)

Normally if you talk them through it and explain there nothing special over normal in terms of performance etc, just a slight model variant when ordered, they fine, on the Omega that thinks its a Vectra I did have to write to some National Insurance Base.

Just dont mention, LSD, Uprated Suspension, self leveling to name a few otherwise you will end up tieing yourself in knots. 
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: zirk on 27 February 2017, 18:21:31
PM me reg, in case it left factory as an auto, in which case, you'd have to declare as a mod
My money is it will come back as a Manual (Code M79), but the Insurance data base may be different. Thats the Key though, as long as its not been mod'ed, you want the car Insured as the same spec as it come out from the factory, whether they understand the spec or not is pretty much irrelevant.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: X30XE on 27 February 2017, 18:29:52
One would assume they're getting their info from the DVLA... therefore can't you just write to them and get them to update their info?
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: TheBoy on 27 February 2017, 18:29:54
PM me reg, in case it left factory as an auto, in which case, you'd have to declare as a mod
My money is it will come back as a Manual (Code M79), but the Insurance data base may be different. Thats the Key though, as long as its not been mod'ed, you want the car Insured as the same spec as it come out from the factory, whether they understand the spec or not is pretty much irrelevant.
It did, as expected.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: zirk on 27 February 2017, 18:39:21
One would assume they're getting their info from the DVLA... therefore can't you just write to them and get them to update their info?
Dont know where they get it from but past experience has always been fairly accurate on a DVLA Index look up but different when it come to insuring it.   :-\
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: X30XE on 27 February 2017, 18:45:40
Hmm odd.  My next plan of attack would be to fill in the car details on comparethe... without putting the reg in.  Get it to quote on actual spec and then give them the reg at the end when you go to purchase. *perhaps might work*
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 27 February 2017, 19:00:57
It's a standard production model, just not a 'traditional' retail one. ;)
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: terry paget on 27 February 2017, 19:10:04
I bought this car in 2003 at the Witney police auction, listed as a POLICE SPECIAL, which I suspect means it did need road tax, and had to re-register it with DVLA Bristol as a V6 SPECIAL to tax it. I have owned the car 11 years and had no trouble in the past. Age UK quoted £215 premium for my wife and me driving it, but withdrew the offer when I said it was not an Elite auto. On comparison sites I am asked 'is it an Omega Elite 3.2 auto saloon?'. Looks like the data does not come from DVLA, but, if not, then where? Current insurer is Admiral, as a Vauxhall Omega 3175 V6, modifications none.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 27 February 2017, 19:23:42
My Taxi innsurance broker simply added a note to the policy stating that they were aware that the insurance database was inaccurate and that the car had no modifications from the factory.

Eons ago I had similar issues with a Mk2 Granada 2.8i Ghia X which was a rare factory manual. Ended up with an old school Ford dealer translating the build sheet to confirm that it was indeed as first delivered.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: biggriffin on 27 February 2017, 19:46:01
 most 3.2 ex police come up as auto, and elite,.  Some come up as mv6 special, you can change it from auto to manual, via the Dvla but it use to involve, going for inspection, no fee,.
 All I ever did was insure it, declare no modifications', this is legal, as it hasn't been modified from a standard production available model.
 Modified means parts that are non-standard.

Before you start contact your broker/ insurer, and ask, its all in the wording, and description, very similar to homologating a production saloon.
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: zirk on 27 February 2017, 19:54:59
Checked a couple of mine on the merkat thingy, seems they all come up as Elite Autos on that site

3.2 Manual Estate Special comes up as 2003 Vauxhall Omega Elite V6 Auto, 3175CC Petrol, 5DR, Auto

3.2 Manual Saloon Special comes up as 2003 Vauxhall Omega Elite V6 Auto, 3175CC Petrol, 4DR, Auto

If I log into MID directly to add or edit a Vehicle I can change the spec against the Reg Number before saving it, which is how mine are Insured.

Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: zirk on 27 February 2017, 19:59:22
most 3.2 ex police come up as auto, and elite,.  Some come up as mv6 special, you can change it from auto to manual, via the Dvla but it use to involve, going for inspection, no fee,.
 All I ever did was insure it, declare no modifications', this is legal, as it hasn't been modified from a standard production available model.
 Modified means parts that are non-standard.

Before you start contact your broker/ insurer, and ask, its all in the wording, and description, very similar to homologating a production saloon.
Yep, as said before thats the key, Insured as it come from the factory, after that they can call it what ever they want.  ;)
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: Pmacca2000 on 28 February 2017, 17:50:50
My CD comes up as a manual when I renew my insurance yet it's an Automatic.
Ive heard that police specials can have MV6 on the V5 I wasn't aware they came up as elites.
It wasn't a diplomatic car or anything was it?
Title: Re: Difficulty insuring my manual 3.2
Post by: TheBoy on 28 February 2017, 18:04:50
Most Police ones, esp early ones, come up as Elite