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Opinions on Car Covers

CALIF GIRL

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2004
Messages
643
Before the fire I had a cover on my GT/CS most of the time in the garage. I no longer have a cover for it. What are your opinions on covers, and if you use one what type do you think is best and why?
 

Midnight Special

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
3,713
Location
Grass Valley, California
Before the fire I had a cover on my GT/CS most of the time in the garage. I no longer have a cover for it. What are your opinions on covers, and if you use one what type do you think is best and why?

All mine are garaged and covered. I don't remember the exact brands, but you want the car to be able to "breath" in addition to keeping dust, cats, et-al off... I crack the windows for ventilation to keep mold in check. When a car is outside; I use an all-weather cover, but still keep a window cracked. The only problem I see is in using great care when you put it on so as not to chaffe the body corners and paint. Keep the inside of the cover clean too, or put a blanket on the car, then cover it to avoid scratching...

Just my $0.02 :)
 

68 GTCS

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
130
Location
KERSEY, COLORADO
If covering your car outside, also be sure that it fits snug, secure the sides of the cover to prevent it from flapping in the wind. I learned the hard way when I pulled my cover off and found marks on the white paint. Some will buff out but not all.

Kevin
 

LUVMYCS

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
186
Location
Peapack, New Jersey
The cover I have for my car is all cloth/felt-like material, front and back. This way there is no chance of marring the paint if the front part (usually made of a canvas type material), touches it. It's also breathable which is very important.

I like Tim's idea of cracking the windows for ventilation, I'm going to try that!
 

CJ

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2003
Messages
157
Car Cover and Care Info

The use of a car cover is a double-edged sword, as they are both protective and possibly damaging. A cover that does not fit properly may be more damaging than no cover at all. If it is too loose, wind may cause it to flap against the paint, causing severe scratching. To obtain the best fit, order a cover that is custom fitted for your year and make of car. The "one size fits all" are cheaper, but will not provide the tight fit needed. If the car is not clean, the dirt trapped between the paint and the cover can also cause scratches as the cover is installed or removed or is moved around by the wind. The key to avoiding these problems is to put a proper fitting cover on a clean car. The best types have a bottom locking system that allows a plastic coated cable to hold the bottom of the cover snugly. This will help prevent wind movement of the cover and thieves from taking a peek.
Armed with the proper information, you may make an informed choice as to the advisability of using a car cover and the best type for your needs. There are three basic types; water proof, water resistant or "breathable" and non-water resistant. Each has it's own advantages and problems. (And you thought only kids came with built-in problems.)
The waterproof car covers are usually plastic film or a plastic coated fabric and will keep the rain off your car, but will also trap condensation between the cover and your car. This trapped moisture may attack your paint with results that are worse than if you just left the car uncovered. The plastic type of car cover is useful if you store your car over the winter in a garage and use a flannel cloth cover against the surface and the plastic one as an outer protective shield. The flannel will wick off any moisture and the plastic adds a tough outer protective layer to help keep the varmints from nesting in the soft cloth. One manufacturer makes a giant "baggie" for your car called the Omni Bag. These are very useful if you store the car over the winter and wish to provide the extra level of protection gained from "sealing" the car. Place some desiccants in the bag to absorb excess moisture and seal your pride and joy for its winter hibernation. Another trick to protect any winter-stored car is to place mothballs around the exterior to discourage the rodents from moving in for the winter and dining on your insulation and wiring. Their gourmet appetites make for some interesting problems. One person had mice stuff the exhaust pipe with acorns. When he started the car in the spring, the resulting acorn shotgun blast dented his metal garage door. If you wish to rid yourself of the rodents, lay dishes of Instant Potato Buds and dishes of water around the outside of your car. They eat the Buds and drink the water and go *KA-BOOM.
The second type of cover material, the water resistant or "breathable" type, is available in an almost bewildering array of fabrics, weights and types. These types of covers will repel most of the water yet allow air to circulate, preventing condensation. Most have ultraviolet screens woven into the mesh to help them withstand sunlight degradation and are usually mildew resistant. The lightest weight car cover currently available is made from Tyvek. This cover weighs about 3 pounds and is very easy to put on and take off. Tyvek is very water resistant and sheds most of the water, yet is so light that the wind will tend to beat the cover against the finish. Unless care is taken to insure that this type of cover is fitted very tightly, it may beat your paint into submission. Tyvek covers lend themselves for very short-term use, such as daily use in the office parking lot. Evolution by Kimberly Clark is a multi-layer "waffle pattern" cover that offers great protection from the elements, available in numerous colors, and is thick enough to help soften the blow of door dings. For outside use, custom fitted Evolution covers offer the best protection. The downside is they are heavy, difficult to put on and take off and if the paint surface is not clean, they may tend to scratch the surface. If you are storing a car outside for long periods of time, this may be the best choice. Another type of composite cover uses a clothing style breathable nylon or polyester outer layer with a foamed acrylic inner lining. This combination is not that water resistant, it instead "filters" the water, allowing only "clean water" to reach the surface. This filtering process, in my humble opinion, only removes the gross dirt. It does not remove the acid from acid rain (unless there is a tiny chemical factory inside the cover that no one has told me about). These types of covers are usually lighter, thus easier to install/remove, than the Evolution type and may be more suited for short-term use. There are a multitude of other "filtering" materials available, such as rip-stop nylon, synthetic sail cloth and boat canvas. Most of these are found on the relatively inexpensive one-size fits all type of mass-market covers and may not be that suitable.
The third major type of cover material is 100% cotton or cotton/polyester blends available in a flannel style or regular cloth style. I prefer the 100% cotton, as the polyester fibers may scratch the paint. These are not water resistant and should not be used outside for long periods of time. For indoor use, the 100% cotton flannel cover is the most gentle on the paint and probably the best choice. The flannel lining may cause lint balls on your canvas cabriolet top (automotive fur balls?), so you may consider a plain cotton cover for your Cabrio. If you store your car over the winter, or drive your pride and joy infrequently, a 100% cotton cover may be a wise investment.
One of the tricks to installing/removing a car cover is to roll the cover on and off the car. The first step is to place the cover on the car in position, but not hooked under the car. Take the driver's side one third of the cover and fold it over the top of the car towards the passenger side, so the fold runs along the edge of the top, hood, and trunk. You will find that the roof is usually one third of the cover and the sides are each a one third. Fold the passenger side third of the cover over the driver's side section, so you now have three layers of cover over the roof, hood and trunk. Start rolling at either the trunk or hood end and roll the cover up with out moving the cover. Walk along the car as you roll up the cover. This way, you have minimized the movement/scratching of the car cover as you remove it. To install, just reverse the process and unroll along the car and fold down the sides.
Car cover care is simple, and usually involves cleaning it periodically. Read your cover's directions carefully. Most may be washed in the washing machine with a mild detergent and no fabric softener. Dry thoroughly according to the manufacturer's directions. No car cover should be stored wet. If it is removed wet, dry as soon as possible. Solvents, such a gasoline, etc. will usually eat holes in your cover. Most are not that happy if they are draped on hot exhaust pipes, they tend to melt and leave a gooey mess that is a thrill to clean.
 

luisa2552

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 20, 2005
Messages
330
I remember asking the same queston after I had my car painted and got some great answers. One thing someone did tell me is not to cover it for a while (I think it was 6 months) after you have it painted. May be someone can chime in on this or search the archives.
 

Midnight Special

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
3,713
Location
Grass Valley, California
...True Sara, don't cover until the paint completely cures.

CJ - Thanks for all the detailed info & tips. The cats seem to handle any rats, but they love to lay near the hood vents on cold nights... Another double-edged sword ;-)
 

Russ

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
393
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
I think the car covers offered by California Car Cover are superior to anything I have found. I keep my cars in a garage, and they are always covered until they are driven or started. I think the breathable covers are the best.

Regarding keeping a window cracked.........here is my story. My wife and I went on a seven week vacation, and when we returned, we found that field mice had gotten into the GT interior and had set up "shop". They had found bird seed that we stored in the garage and they had collected the seeds and placed them under the back seat and in the cowl vent. What a MESS!! I had to completely take the interior apart, and remove the front end to clean the cowl vent! Re-restoring the car was quite a job........and I will NEVER leave a window cracked or open, OR store bird seed in my garage ever again.

Hope this helps
Russ
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
1. I had a mouse "couple" set up home inside the back seat of my '55 chevy show car. The interior was all original. One day, I found red sticky liquid in the rear floor board (on a 150 the mat is rubber). I couldnt remember EVER letting my kids take Kool-aid or any drink in the car. I cleaned it up, but then decided to look under the seat. The insulation was all made into a nest for the new mouse "family". You can guess what the red stuff was. I am primitive and ruthless when it comes to mice. I set up "snap traps" with peanut butter and caught 2 adults and 4 babies. Problem went away. I was lucky they did not chew away any of the actual external fabric of the original interior - only the insulation. "Snap traps" now sit around my mustangs - I catch an occasional mouse, and sometimes my dog's nose.

2. I have a non-fitted car cover that came in the trunk of a car I bought. It is almost silky to the touch. It is mostly rectangular with wedges sewn in to allow for a hood and trunk to car top fit, and has a nice little bag sewn into one end to stuff it in. It is so smooth you can "glide" it on the car. This is an inside cover only. It has no markings. Has anyone heard of these, or can direct me to find them. I want two more.

Thanks, Casey
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Ha! I finally got the REAL mouse. I know...some of you are going to give me a real hard time for this one, aren't you !!!!! Casey
 

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Russ

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
393
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
I'm not much into "catch and release", especially when the little boogers set up camp in the cowl vent!! I say that if they want to mess with my Mustangs, they had better be "on guard".

Russ
 

crmont

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2007
Messages
19
In addition to the cover the guaranteed best way to prevent damaging effects from moisture in any situation is a simple small 115 volt fan. Wal mart had a little fan for about 15 bucks that works great. Lift the back seat a little and lift the floor mats and seat covers. If the trunk leaks, put one in the trunk as well. Works great even with the windows rolled up.
 
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