Help needed on alarm vs insurance issue

[Nickstapleton]

Hi all, having recently become the proud new owner of a white aw11 T bar I unfortunatly did not get much history with the car and likewise the owners manual and having today called my insurance company they will not insure the car without having an immobiliser fitted.
I just want to know what type of standard alarm system do these come with, is it an alarm/immobiliser or is it just an alarm, the only thing I have to go by is a key fob with 2 buttons and a siren in the engine bay that can be turned on or off with a key.
If this is a standard system how can I prove it has an immobiliser as I dont have any paperwork (as insurance company want written proof)

Thanks all

[WeirdNeville]

As far as I know no UK cars came with factory fit immobilisers or alarms. I think yours will be aftermarket. You would need the "Thatcham" certificate or similar to prove that it's an approved alarm fitted by a reputable dealer, without that they won't recognise it.
Change insurers. It'll be cheaper in the long run. I pay under £250 for a normal fully comp policy in the South East, and plently of people are willing to insure them with no alarm or an "unofficial" one.

[SuperRedMR2]

I haven't an alarm but pay £397 as I've got points with Mr Flux

[un1eash]

Some insurance companies require a Thatcham alarm to be installed or they wont insure or wont cover for theft. By the sounds of it you have the Scropion alarm system that was fitted to alot of cars by dealerships when sold. This isnt a Thatcham alarm so you'll need to get either a CAT1 (Alarm+Imobiliser) or CAT2 (Imobiliser) fitted.

I had to do this with mine and my insurance were happy with a cheaper CAT2 imobliser so i had a Microscan Mi600 with wireless fob fitted for £120.

ps. The scorpion alarm is simply a siren and central locking type.

[greglebon]

My Mk1 Supercharger conversion had an aftermarket alarm/immob fitted, but no documentation to prove it......

Adrian Flux, (IIRC) asked for a "self-certification" of this, and were ok with that....
It was a FlashPoint / Laserline (IIRC), and I think was Cat 2 certified.
Trouble is that Thatcham approval has changed over the last 2 decades, meaning that, in some cases, an alarm that may have been Cat1 in 1995 is no longer "approved" in 2010...!

If you only have the alarm you say you have, I would strongly recommend getting one fitted professionally.
If you had a better one already, then the self-certify would be a good route....

After all, its only when some toe-rag has broken into your pride-and-joy that any of this will be relevant.......but you don't wanna get caught out, do you......?

£120 for peace-of-mind is not too bad, IMHO....

Better safe than sorry..!

[Nickstapleton]

Thanks for all your posts, im out of the country at the moment so im going to have another look at this alarm and see what it actually is and what it does when I get back.

But still good advise as always from the IMOC club, thanks all great help

[Charged]

Toad lazer key - Cat 2 system, very common fitment and costs £80 IIRC

[Nickstapleton]

Just a quick update to finalise, The alarm system turned out to be a Philips 403, going to get a garage to check if it is immobiliser/alarm or not, if so just a quick letter from garage to say its all ok and insurance will be coverd.
So once again thanks to everyone who replied