If your insurance company made out the check that way its probably because you have a loan on your tracker.
When you borrowed money on a car its always a bad idea to work on it yourself. I know we all tweak and lift and stuff, but your lender could get really crappy with you if they find out.
For instance, if your work isnt the greatest and your car winds up worth less than the loan value, you have actually defrauded your lender by embezzling insurance money which is legally theirs.
I borrowed 3600 against my sammy, and made sure to insure it as a collectilble auto. Whenever i make a change to it (suspension, tires, interior etc) i call my insurance company and adjust the insured value. My lender is an out of state loan broker, and isnt real worried about my ability to pay. I have called them every time i make a significant change, and their response is that if the insurance company is comfortable with the insured value and it is more than the loan amount, then they are ok with the changes.
The only difficulty i have had is convincing my agent and her underwriters that my upgraded suspension did not constitute a dangerous modification.