Tired of the colour of your car? There are various reasons why someone wishes to change their car’s colour. You may have a favorite colour and gotten a fantastic bargain on a car knowing you would wrap it after buying it or you may just want a change.
A study by the new car loan company Carmoola looked at the personality qualities of car owners who drive cars in the top 10 most popular colours. According to the study, 31% of owners selected their present vehicle solely based on its colour. On UK roads, you can frequently see cars in the following colours: white, black, silver, grey, and red, with grey being the most popular.
Although it can be challenging to feel classy in a car that may have a few dings on it, would you rather alter the colour or try to carry on and live with the colour as it is for the time being? For car owners, appearances are everything.
In this article, you will find some of the things you might want to consider before you take this path.
Should You Change the Colour of Your Car?
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No and yes. People frequently claim that some car colours cost more to insure than others. For example, red and yellow cars are frequently classified as “risky” and command a higher premium. However, there is a misconception about how car insurance operates.
The cost of insurance is not affected by the colour of the car you purchase from a dealer. Therefore, your premium won’t go up if you choose a red Mazda Mazda 2 TS HATCHBACK over a grey one, for example. However, your insurance might charge you more for coverage if you alter the colour of the car after you’ve purchased it.
How do you change the colour of your car?
It’s perfectly legal to change the colour of your car, but you will need to notify both the DVLA and your insurer. Changing the colour of your car can be as simple as picking up some spray paint and doing it yourself.
If you’d prefer your car not to look like an art project though, there are two ways of having your car colour changed professionally.
- Full respray
A complete respray is your best option if you want to permanently change the colour of your car and achieve the best finish. Professional paint shops can remove the current paint from your car and repaint it in whatever colour you choose.
Although it will be a permanent modification, this is frequently highly expensive, think in terms of thousands of pounds. However, if you’re rebuilding an older vehicle or desire a finish of factory standards, this is a fantastic option.
- Vinyl Wrapping
Today, having your car wrapped in vinyl is a lot more popular alternative than a complete repaint. The emergence of an entire sector built on businesses doing this has made it possible for cars to be creatively and reasonably priced and customized.
Even the greatest wraps won’t be as appealing to the eye as a perfect respray, and wraps often degrade more quickly than paints (although the quality of the materials used will play a role in this).
On the plus side, removing a wrap is simple and will restore the car’s original paint job.
Notify the DVLA of your car’s colour change
No matter how you alter the colour of your car, you must notify the DVLA of the change. You must complete the ‘new colour’ line in section 1 of your car’s V5C in order to accomplish this. This would be section 7 in the old logbooks.
Simply mark the V5C with the new colour of your vehicle and mail it to the DVLA at DVLA, Swansea SA99 1BA.
Your V5C will not be charged for the modification, and a new one will be delivered to you with the new colour stated.
Inform the car insurance company about the change of the colour of your car
If you have car insurance, you must notify your provider before purchasing a new colour in order to avoid penalties and/or higher costs. The body of your car may be damaged if you change the colour, and an unprofessional paint job may make your car more likely to be stolen and raise your insurance costs. Additionally, even if your car insurance covers future difficulties and their associated costs, you might not receive any reimbursement because you failed to notify your insurance provider of the change. Additionally, if you don’t notify them in advance, they may refuse or cancel your insurance payments. Therefore, it is preferable to seek their approval and talk with them before making the adjustment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is allowed to change the colour of your car, but you must first obtain DVLA approval. Your car will need to be rechecked by a DVLA officer after you receive authorization to change the colour, and your V5C will be updated. Then your changing-colour car can be driven lawfully.
However, it’s also crucial to let your car insurance provider know because it can affect the cost of your premiums. If they discover that you changed the colour of your car without telling them, it may be difficult to collect money for future needs, so if you have car insurance, talk to them before making the change.