Ok so i got my 80 323i from NJ a few days ago and now i have a problem. i called my insurance company (state farm) and they said they have no 323 in the computer just the 320 and wont be able to insure my car.

I then called american family insurance and no go with them. Then called this insurance company called 1001 insurance and they said all they come up with is 320's as well.

What companies do you guys insure your euro 323i's with? I am pissed because i want to get this beast insured so i can go have some drifting fun :evil2

Did you inform them it was a "grey market" vehicle? Did you give them the VIN? Not sure why its not listed, but maybe an explanation that its a 320 with a different motor might help if you havnt done it already. Maybe you need to look into classic insurance. Someone has to know about this. If not ask here http://e21.tricord.be/

Did you inform them it was a "grey market" vehicle? Did you give them the VIN? Not sure why its not listed, but maybe an explanation that its a 320 with a different motor might help if you havnt done it already. Maybe you need to look into classic insurance. Someone has to know about this. If not ask here http://e21.tricord.be/


well i gave them the vin and everything and they said they are just coming up with 320's.

what do you mean by grey market vehicle? I told them the car was only made in germany and was privately imported here from germany in 1987.


i dont think its a 320 with motor swap, as i looked at the carfax and it said car was imported from germany in 1987 and all info from vin comes up as 323i

just insure it as a 320. Get an appraisal for the car and make sure it includes the mods, and the fact that it's grey market. then you should be fine.

well i gave them the vin and everything and they said they are just coming up with 320's.

what do you mean by grey market vehicle? I told them the car was only made in germany and was privately imported here from germany in 1987.


i dont think its a 320 with motor swap, as i looked at the carfax and it said car was imported from germany in 1987 and all info from vin comes up as 323i

Grey market means that it was never sold in the US and only brought over privately. This is why it is not comming up in their system since it was never sold in NA.

And I didnt mean it had a motor swap, essentialy when it comes down to it, the 323i is a 320i with a bigger motor (speaking in terms the insurance company would understand).

i told them that the 323 is a 320 but with a bigger motor. I'll try calling them again and saying that its a grey market vehicle.

Grey market means that it was never sold in the US and only brought over privately. This is why it is not comming up in their system since it was never sold in NA.

And I didnt mean it had a motor swap, essentialy when it comes down to it, the 323i is a 320i with a bigger motor (speaking in terms the insurance company would understand).

Grey market means that it was never sold in the US and only brought over privately. This is why it is not comming up in their system since it was never sold in NA.

And I didnt mean it had a motor swap, essentialy when it comes down to it, the 323i is a 320i with a bigger motor (speaking in terms the insurance company would understand).

CJ is basically correct. However..I have found most people are completely igonorant as far as the e21 323i are concerned.

What I am going to do is meet with someone and get the car appriased.
Then I am going to get "classic car" insurance. My 323i is not going to be a daily driver..And I forgot the name of the company, but with a car like the 79, you can now get classic car insurance.

Tell them you are going to garage it,
and its about 300 for the whole year. I am going to try to get the appraised/replacement valve around 20K for my 323i.

Haha I think you are scaring Joe. And Joe I think it will be much higher than $300 for a whole year if its valued that high as a classic car. I think I got qouted $1100 and that was with only 6k miles/year.

hang on here. You have state farm and they said they dont have it in there computer? But my 323i is insured by state farm and it is under a 323i and not a 320i. I gave them the year, VIN, etc. and they said is it a 320i?. and i told them no, its a rare/classic BMW in the grey market. They said ok and it will be about 100 bucks more than what it was before. So i pay around 450 a month. (My family and i have been with state farm for more then 8 years now so i dont know if that matters or not).


EDIT:: 500 for the whole year. my mistake

Haha I think you are scaring Joe. And Joe I think it will be much higher than $300 for a whole year if its valued that high as a classic car. I think I got qouted $1100 and that was with only 6k miles/year.

I ran into this guy with an awesome muscle car. He had classic car insurance on it. Only drove it a little bit, and could prove he had other cars.

He only paid 300 for it and it was valved about the same as what I am looking for in my 323i...

But since mine is not done, I have not looked into it yet..

later
J

hang on here. You have state farm and they said they dont have it in there computer? But my 323i is insured by state farm and it is under a 323i and not a 320i. I gave them the year, VIN, etc. and they said is it a 320i?. and i told them no, its a rare/classic BMW in the grey market. They said ok and it will be about 100 bucks more than what it was before. So i pay around 450 a month. (My family and i have been with state farm for more then 8 years now so i dont know if that matters or not).


EDIT:: 500 for the whole year. my mistake

Blue e21.. - you should check on the valve of your car, ie if it was totaled.
If you have a regular contract - they can give you either the book valve, of what they think a 320i is with an adjustment for it being a 323i, or less.

Translation: Better check now because if you get an accident they may total it and give you or about a thousand or so fpr it.

is what you should check out for classic car insurance. They are MUCH more leniant on thier rules- as long as it isn't a daily driver you can find a plan for you. For a $15000 TR6 driven under 2000 mi/yr you might only pay about 100 bucks a yr. Take some pics and give them a try.

Good luck and keep trying; this shouldn't be this much of an issue!

John

Classic car insurance through companies like Haggerty is for garage and trailer queens. Depending on how much you plan on driving the car, I would be wary. There is a reason its so cheap. If you happen to be driving to the grocery store and something happens, they reserve the right to deny coverage because you weren't driving it off of a trailer into your parking spot at the concours car show. They basically insure cars that don't get driven.

I am insured though Central insurance as a classic car, but I have no driving restrictions or yearly mileage limits and its my daily driver. I had to get my car appraised to do so, but if any thing happens they cut me a check for $14,000. I pay about $900 a year with a few speeding tickets, but it will go down next year when i turn 25.

I have Mercury (switched from AAA this year) and its not listed as a classic car but was appraised for $17,000. So if I get it totalled out I would also get a check for that amount. It was only $72 more a year for this and a phone call to the appraiser (make sure you have all your receipts and car is clean). Otherwise if not appraised I would only get a maximum pay off of $2,200.

I pay $480 every 6 months, and thats with an accident :shifty

Oh and if it's of any use to anyone: Since I was deemed at fauly in the accident (bitch claimed she had a headache that wouldnt go away after 3 weeks :rolleyes ), Triple A jacked up my payment from $1050 a year to $1400. I called Mercury to see what they could do, after faxing them my Triple A info and making sure that I would have the EXACT same coverage that Triple A provided + the appraisal it came out to about $500 cheaper a year.

How much for the appraisor to calculate a value for the car?

thanks
J

$0.00

They work for the insurance company.

I pay $480 every 6 months, and thats with an accident :shifty

Oh and if it's of any use to anyone: Since I was deemed at fauly in the accident (bitch claimed she had a headache that wouldnt go away after 3 weeks :rolleyes ), Triple A jacked up my payment from $1050 a year to $1400. I called Mercury to see what they could do, after faxing them my Triple A info and making sure that I would have the EXACT same coverage that Triple A provided + the appraisal it came out to about $500 cheaper a year.

CJ if the women cut you off, and you had no place to go, why do you get blaimed for the accident? Is it not her fault.

Later.
J

Joe I think your getting your stories mixed up.

Cliff Notes:
Bitch takes off from light
She doesnt know how to drive stick
She stalls car
I run into her at about 5mph
Do nothing to her car
My car is fucked
She has Jesus stickers all over her car but is really Teh Satan
She says shes fine, lies to my insurance and says her heads is going to explode
I hope it does someday.


Insurace company informs me that since she filed claim I get 100% at fault, otherwise it would have been 50/50

CJ, how do you get your car appraised for so much? I thought insurance companies usually don't cover aftermarket items on a car. Maybe I'm wrong, being as how I'm only 15, but whatever. Oh, and remember, everything comes back to a person, the woman will get her's one day.
Jake

Reciepts, and the word of the appraisist

okay, awesome. I'm planning on redoing my car into a Euro look, kinda like your's CJ. not copying you or anything. so, I wonder if my parents's car insurance will send out an appraiser or whatever.
Jake

okay, awesome. I'm planning on redoing my car into a Euro look, kinda like your's CJ. not copying you or anything.

Do what you please, I didn't invent the look. I copied it from BMW.

None of them know what a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S is either :mad or a 83 320i with S package

With my Turbo S (State Farm Insurance)
I had it listed as a regular 944 Turbo with a stipulation of "limited production, special edition" and I had an independent appraisal done and is on file with S.F.I. All this helps if something bad happens but on a total all they really have to give is what it is listed as :(

Do what you please, I didn't invent the look. I copied it from BMW.
nicely said.

None of them know what a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S is either :mad or a 83 320i with S package

With my Turbo S (State Farm Insurance)
I had it listed as a regular 944 Turbo with a stipulation of "limited production, special edition" and I had an independent appraisal done and is on file with S.F.I. All this helps if something bad happens but on a total all they really have to give is what it is listed as :(
that stipulation had better include a higher value. there were only 718 made in '88. the 89-90 Turbos were actually S spec.
As for why they don't know what a 320is is, there isn't a model designation on the back, so they may not know...or they just suck, idk.
Jake

Joe I think your getting your stories mixed up.

Cliff Notes:
Bitch takes off from light
She doesnt know how to drive stick
She stalls car
I run into her at about 5mph
Do nothing to her car
My car is fucked
She has Jesus stickers all over her car but is really Teh Satan
She says shes fine, lies to my insurance and says her heads is going to explode
I hope it does someday.


Insurace company informs me that since she filed claim I get 100% at fault, otherwise it would have been 50/50

Sounds like a real B&TCH!! What comes around goes around..
What you do comes back to you..
She should have not filed a claim.

nicely said.


that stipulation had better include a higher value. there were only 718 made in '88. the 89-90 Turbos were actually S spec.
As for why they don't know what a 320is is, there isn't a model designation on the back, so they may not know...or they just suck, idk.
Jake
The insurance companies I have delt with just look up the make and modle in the system and if it is not there then they say "we have no record of it being a production car".
In the case of my e21 I brought in my window stickers proving there was really an S package from the factory

CJ, how do you get your car appraised for so much? I thought insurance companies usually don't cover aftermarket items on a car.
When I called the local appraiser up to get my car appraised, I told him what it was and how much I thought it should be worth and he about laughed. Later when he saw the car and all of my receipts and an estimate of what had been invested he said he was expecting your typical 320i (which most are pretty ratted out by now) and he agreed that it would should be covered for at least $14,000.

I asked my mom about it and she said that just because the car gets appraised and the appraiser says it's worth an amount, it doesn't mean the insurance company will cover the car for that amount. I don't know.
Jake

I asked my mom about it and she said that just because the car gets appraised and the appraiser says it's worth an amount, it doesn't mean the insurance company will cover the car for that amount. I don't know.
Jake
That's right what ever their computer says is what they give you and that is all.

damn apexx taht one hell of a garage u have!! i want a red 944 like 16 candles kid too damn it

I asked my mom about it and she said that just because the car gets appraised and the appraiser says it's worth an amount, it doesn't mean the insurance company will cover the car for that amount. I don't know.
Jake

You have to a special type of insurance. This insurance covers more than the book valve of the car. This is the purpose of an appraisal..and appraisal is an estimate or determination of valve.

So if CJ's car or Cook's car both have the correct insurance, in case of an accident, they have a valve on the books already.

So they will not get a total loss and a lousy 1500 bucks from the insurance company. They will get engough to fix the classic cars.

Our cars are so old now they are just about classics..

okay, got that. the problem with that kind of insurance is that it limits the amount of driving you can do or something. right?
Jake
BTW, my brother had an '83 944. Black, God I loved that car. too bad it burned up...and then drove accross the road while on fire. Many I'm glad that cop parked behind him and got the entire thing on video.-wipes tear from eye-I miss that car...

okay, got that. the problem with that kind of insurance is that it limits the amount of driving you can do or something. right?


Incorrect, you can put as many miles as you want. I use about 10k miles a year. But I tell the insurance I do about 12k to be safe. If I were to tell them I drove 20k miles a year than my rate would be slightly more but would still be covered for as much as it is appraised for.

w00t! let the modding begin!...after I get some money...
Jake

ok well an update as of today...

i talked to my state farm agent yesterday (not any people working for him) and he said that they used to insure cars like this but not anymore. He said i pulled some strings for you though because i like your family (like 10 cars insured total). And all they want is the paper proof that the car was modified to meet the US dot/emissions crap. I was like....hmmm i dont have any documentation stating that but every car had to pass that stuff coming into the US or else it wouldnt be allowed to be registered. ANd he said well they want to see the papers...I was like i dont have any and the PO doesnt have any either, and i told him that on the carfax it said that the car was imported and was modified to meet the us highway safety stuff...he was like get that for me...i did and now i am insured

liability under my pops name is $400/year

lots of headache and 3 days driving without insurance but now everything is alright and i am ready to enjoy my e21 to the max without worries of no insurance tickets.

Cool Deal.

I had some moron rear end me in my wife's Honda CRV last week and they have state farm insurance....what a screwed up insurance company that mess is.

I had to call 6 phones numbers to get to the right number to make a claim. I first called the 800 number for claims, where they gave me a different claims number, then that number gave me a local office number that then gave me a different 800 number to make a claim, then after I made the claim they gave me a different number to check up on the claim. so the next day I call that number and they give me a different local number to call. so I call that number and they assign a claim rep to the case, who was then out sick the rest of the day.....Then they tell me to take it to a shop for an estimate and the shop would e-mail it back to state farm....what a mess, and a pain in the ass.

I have also dealt with progressive recently too (my e-36 got squished the week before) (I'm having a bad 2 weeks) I called the 800 number for progressive made a claim. the agent assigned called me back at the time the claims rep at the 800 number said he would call me. The agent met me at the site where the car was, whipped out an estimate on his wirelessly connected lap top, called a tow truck, had the car towed to the shop, finished the estimate once they could see under the car, paid the shop and the parts were ordered the next day....

So with my expierence with state farm so far I would avoid them at all costs, and hope noone ever hits you who is covered by them....

I had some moron rear end me in my wife's Honda CRV last week and they have state farm insurance....what a screwed up insurance company that mess is.

I had to call 6 phones numbers to get to the right number to make a claim. I first called the 800 number for claims, where they gave me a different claims number, then that number gave me a local office number that then gave me a different 800 number to make a claim, then after I made the claim they gave me a different number to check up on the claim. so the next day I call that number and they give me a different local number to call. so I call that number and they assign a claim rep to the case, who was then out sick the rest of the day.....Then they tell me to take it to a shop for an estimate and the shop would e-mail it back to state farm....what a mess, and a pain in the ass.

I have also dealt with progressive recently too (my e-36 got squished the week before) (I'm having a bad 2 weeks) I called the 800 number for progressive made a claim. the agent assigned called me back at the time the claims rep at the 800 number said he would call me. The agent met me at the site where the car was, whipped out an estimate on his wirelessly connected lap top, called a tow truck, had the car towed to the shop, finished the estimate once they could see under the car, paid the shop and the parts were ordered the next day....

So with my expierence with state farm so far I would avoid them at all costs, and hope noone ever hits you who is covered by them....


My 86 jetta has been around for a long time and is my daily driver. It does have HR lowering springs, blistein sports, Autotech 4-1 header, custom exhaust, euro headlights, etc.

I went to my freind's wifes 30 birthday party. Around 12:00 at night I heard a loud crash/glass breaking and metal crunching. I will never forget that sound. We all run outside. WTF?? Some noob took out the entire front end of my Jetta with his truck. Its completely smashed. I cant believe it. I had to tow it away.

So, we stop the kid. Call the cops, etc and the car is totaled. I had to fight it out with State Farm his insurance for months.

I bascially one day yelled at them. They found drugs and the kid was drunk so they arrested him at the accident. I told State Farm if they dont give me at least 3k to fix my jetta I was going to sue them.

So finally they paid. But they really stink. I got my Jetta fixed, and it got hit again. But it was a very negative expereince.

i have nothing but wonderful things to say about state farm...