Jay Leno’s Garage always features some interesting machinery; from vintage racers to collectible European sports cars, and everything in between. Classic musclecars? That’s a given. But fairly recently he had a very special example roll through his shop; a ’68 Camaro convertible modified by State Farm Insurance.
However, this isn’t just another Camaro, as literally every aspect of the car has been modified – but done so in a way that reflects what today’s classic musclecar owner is into. The car is sort of the automotive equivalent to the Batman villain, Two-Face, where one side is aggressive and modified, while the other side appears stock and reserved. The reasoning behind this is to show that State Farm gets it; that they understand the insurance needs of the enthusiasts, and not just the average, everyday consumer.
As such, Earl Hyser, one of the main guys responsible for automotive research on behalf of State Farm, makes an appearance in Jay’s garage. The Camaro is used as a training tool within their own company, to teach rookie adjusters woo may nt be all that familiar with the aftermarket what to look for in today’s modified vehicles; such as tubular control arms, nitrous kits, superchargers, aftermarket crate engines, aftermarket brakes, and so on.
Not only that, but the idea is to get the point across to guys like us that you need to keep your vehicle insurance up to date with your vehicle’s condition; whether it’s modified or stock. More often than not, many of us lose our vehicle in a unforeseen mishap, due to Mother Nature, thieves, another driver, and sometimes, even ourselves.
Earl explains that no matter who your insurance is or what kind of car you drive, you always want to have your policy in check to reflect the true value of the car is, i.e., if you have a $200,000 COPO Camaro, you want to make sure the amount of coverage is in line with the car’s value, not of that of a base model or mid-range car, including modifications, if any.
This makes things much easier for everybody involved – you get the true dollar amount of your vehicle if it needs replaced or simply repaired, and you’ll have a much easier time convincing the adjuster that you’ve made the modifications to begin with. Oh, and receipts AND photos always help, Earl states. Good to know!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, the parent company to Timeless Muscle Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the magazine’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next round modifications for his own cars.
