Modified Car Insurance Tips-A car is usually called a big boy's toy. Being such, most men choose to change some parts here and there to make it more customized to their liking. This is where modified car insurance comes in. After all, a car is still a vehicle that needs insurance whether modified or not. Sure, insurance companies will still consider the usual profile of a car policy owner. Age is still an aspect that insurance companies take into consideration. Driving history is another, checking your traffic violations history if there are any. Your mileage and where you live will also be checked. It is advantageous that your credit rating and score be promising.
For modified auto insurance, though, companies take into account how your car is customized and for what purpose it is personalized. For insurers, there are two types by which modified cars are classified: show cars and street racing cars. The first one is usually owned by hobbyists who find joy in fixing a car and admiring it. Most often show cars are owned by collectors who simply love cars. These cars are considered low risk because they have very low mileage and are driven very carefully and slowly. These cars are less likely to be stolen because they are well-kept and are safe in a garage especially at night. It is a different story all-together for a vehicle that is meant for street racing or anything similar. This kind of car becomes too risky: it can be driven too fast, may be involved in accidents, thieves may steal it, among others. In addition, a street car becomes high-risk and insurance quotes will yield higher rates. That is how the business goes, the higher the risk, the higher the premium.
Modified auto insurance companies will appreciate it if you, as a client, will declare or disclose your modifications. Some will keep the information hoping to get a lower rate. If you do not do this, you might not be covered when all the while you think you are. You will risk voiding your policy in case you claim after an accident. Even if another modification is made after an insurance product is signed, it is always safer to inform your insurer about it.
This modified auto insurance, although a special product is just the same as the others, the process of acquiring entails the same steps. It is always best to scout for the best deal before deciding to purchase. Ask around and review the quotes. You will be surprised that your first consideration may not be the best one for you.
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- Watch for early signs of potential problems. Leaks, irregular noises, difference in the engine performance, occasional sputtering, grease splattered on the wheels, different feel of the brake pedal - these are the types of early signs that indicate a problem that needs to be taken care of. Deal with the problems as they appear, before they get worse. I can give you hundreds of examples where a small problem can lead to major repairs if not repaired in time.
- Use only known good quality or original parts. I also can give you many examples where using poor quality parts led to more problems and more repairs. When I bough my last car (used) it had fairly new aftermarket brake pads installed. I had problems with hard brake pedal, pulsating brakes and squeaking noise until I replaced the brake pads with original parts. Yes, there are plenty of good aftermarket parts on the market, but if you don't know which one is good and which one is not, the safe bet is to go with the original. 
- Drive smoothly. The full-throttle acceleration will cause many parts of your car to wear faster. The same with the hard braking. If your daily commute involves only short trips, take your car on a highway once in a while. Driving only short trips without letting the car to warm up fully is hard on your engine. If it's a new car, have it broken in properly, so it will last longer. Check your owner's manual how to break in a new vehicle. 
- Clean the the windshield wipers regularly, when you wash your car, make sure to wash under the wipers. Often small particles of sand get trapped under the wipers and when you turn them on your windshield gets scratched. Those are small scratches, but they will cause that annoying glare when driving at night. If you see the wiper rubber splits at the edges, change the wipers, because once the rubber disintegrates, the metal part of the wiper will scratch the windshield. Replace windshield wipers at least once a year. You can just replace rubber parts of the wipers called refills. They can be purchased from your dealer.
- Keep your engine from overheating. When the engine overheats, there is a lot of things that can go wrong from seals and gaskets to piston rings and the cylinder heads. Check the engine coolant level regularly. If you notice that the engine temperature rises more than usual, take care of the problem as soon as you can. If you notice that the coolant level drops, have your cooling system checked for leaks. If enough coolant leaks out, the engine will overheat. For the same reason, keep the front of your car's radiator unobstructed, so the air can flow freely to cool the coolant in the radiator.
Check tire pressure regularly as under-inflated tires wear faster and will cause poor fuel economy. Uneven tire pressure will cause the 4WD system to wear faster. Over-inflated tires cause the suspension and steering components to wear faster. Change winter tires back to all-seasons after the last blast of winter, because many winter tires wear faster on dry asphalt. If you notice that the tires wear unevenly, have the wheel alignment checked. Improper wheel alignment also causes increased wear of suspension and steering components. 
