Car cover

[Adrian]

I’m planning on changing my modern and was wondering about using a cover to protect the paintwork as I am working from home most of the time and so it’s not used everyday.

the internet is full of covers claiming to be the ultimate breathable weather proof cover but.........

just wondered if you had any experience, obviously a carcoon is a bit too much faff 

cheers

Adrian

[dougbgt6]

Car covers are controversial for classics, the paint job, the humidity, the rust, you don't want the car sweating under the cover, but on a modern? Modern paint and modern rust protection are very good, so all you're guarding against is detritus and bird crap. All my moderns have sat outside these 25 years, I bought a new car last August it's done 200 miles since then, it's dirty,  but no deterioration.  

Doug

[Nigel Clark]

Modern paint and lacquer will stand up to our climate for many years. Sealing of modern windows, doors etc is so good that water ingress shouldn't be a problem.

I really can't see the need for a cover on a modern, it could even do more harm than good in my opinion.

Nigel

[poppyman]

As above, car covers are a waste of money especially on a modern and as Nigel says they do more harm than good. A good polish now and again will be ample.

Tony. 

[Adrian]

Basically I totally agree moderns are much better, I’m trading in my 14 year old landcruiser and the bodywork is still very good. What I was trying to figure out is to maintain the premium finish and not having to wash it as often. So far it seem it’s a waste of money.

[johny]

One of the potential problems of a cover is its movement by wind. Even a tailored fit item can flap and over time damage paintwork so I would only use one in a closed environment...

[Nigel Clark]

1 hour ago, johny said:

One of the potential problems of a cover is its movement by wind. Even a tailored fit item can flap and over time damage paintwork so I would only use one in a closed environment...

Add the flapping to a fine layer of dirt on the paintwork and inside of the cover,  and the brand new paint is effectively being sandpapered by the cover. 

Nigel

[Dick Twitchen]

My son is a self-employed sail maker and canvas worker.  He will not make covers for cars for all the reasons Doug and Nigel have mentioned, and will only do them for agricultural vehicles (steam traction engines and the like), and boats of course.  If customers insist then he will 'guide' them to the internet and no comeback on himself. 

Dick

[Mathew]

The only plus side of a cover is the uv protection. I know last year my spitfire was outside most of the time and it suffered , being red did not help. Best way is something that covers but does not rest directly on the car.

[Pete Lewis]

no thery are a waste of time and funds , none work as publicised if as with all the previous posts they will just wreck everything 

in a enclosed garage then a dust cover works well but any outside cover will empty your pride and wallet

if for a classic no more than a cockpit cover to keep rain off the window, and soft top weather loop holes 

but plenty of ventilation is king at preserving paint 

  eg   cockpit covers from club shop  2 seater £60  4 seater £75

Pete

[Adrian]

Definitely seems a cover is a no no. So does the gt6 or the mini come out of the garage......neither i think. Looks like I’m washing the car more often!

[dougbgt6]

I wash my modern once a year, whether it needs it or not.  

db 

[Colin Lindsay]

Agree with Peter on the dust cover for inside the garage, but I bought some of the LIDL 'Stormproof' covers a while back and they lasted less than an hour in light rain. I moved the GT6 out to move a few other things about in the garage, on came a light shower, and the water just went straight through the fabric.

For any kind of cover I'd make up a tubular frame to keep the material up off the paintwork; on my 1200 convertible which lay outdoors for a year or two, the rear fins ate through the cover very quickly, and the material around the bonnet blew about in the wind and ate through the paint amazingly easily. These days I'd buy an old gazebo and shorten the legs - Tesco were clearing them last autumn at under £30.

[Badwolf]

56 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

I wash my modern once a year, whether it needs it or not.  

db 

I wash and valet my modern when the ashtrays are full.....can't find them on the latest modern....could be a problem....arhhh, but I don't smoke.

[thescrapman]

If you choose the right colour, silver or silvery metallic, it won't ever look really dirty won't need washing.

you could always go for a post purchase paint treatment (not from dealer unless it is free I am sure I read as they grossly overcharge) which would make it easier to wash.

[68vitesse]

22 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

I wash my modern once a year, whether it needs it or not.  

db 

That often, I reckon dirt on a car is like dust in the house you clean and immediately get a layer of dust. Leave for a few weeks and it doesn't seem to get any worse. The Vitesse does get washed on an irregular basis, in my opinion you damage the paint washing.

As to car covers used one, not cheap, on the Vitesse one summer while I had the garage enlarged had to wipe mould of the steering wheel, as above comments a waste of money.

Regards

Paul.

 

[Adrian]

Gone for metallic red.....yes.....I realise the absolute worst colour for UV damage. I did look at the folding garages after the earlier comments. Anything from £300 machinemart to £800 and above for other suppliers, some with vents so theoretically prevents condensation. But the issue with these is are they really stable enough the withstand the winds we get because failure would result in significantly worse damage than from a cover! I know they talk about ground anchors but .....

Cheers

Adrian

[Badwolf]

Ground anchors...now there's an interesting topic. Believe that they have a good one in the Suez canal at the moment. Now there's something that won't cause any sort of drift, thread or otherwise. (For the members with longer memories than they care to own up to...... "Left hand down a bit")

[poppyman]

1 hour ago, Adrian said:

Gone for metallic red.....yes.....I realise the absolute worst colour for UV damage. I did look at the folding garages after the earlier comments. Anything from £300 machinemart to £800 and above for other suppliers, some with vents so theoretically prevents condensation. But the issue with these is are they really stable enough the withstand the winds we get because failure would result in significantly worse damage than from a cover! I know they talk about ground anchors but .....

Cheers

Adrian

A lot of people have poly tunnels in their garden and awnings on caravans Adrian. I would think a folding garage would stay up?  But don't quote me on that  

Tony. 

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Badwolf said:

..... "Left hand down a bit")

👍

[Pete Lewis]

everybody   ....down    

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bfvkd/episodes/guide

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, poppyman said:

A lot of people have poly tunnels in their garden and awnings on caravans Adrian. I would think a folding garage would stay up?  But don't quote me on that  

Tony. 

Down in our village a resident has built a polytunnel / greenhouse-type thingie on a hill behind his house; it's a bit of an eyesore being visible for miles but we assumed it was for plants. I drove along under it today and he's got a boat sitting in it. That's the last thing I expected to see, but he must be happy that it's a solid construction and will stand the wind.

[PeteH]

3 hours ago, Chris A said:

👍

Gerald Willey, AKA. Ronnie Barker, wrote many Sketches. Able seaman Johnson. With Leslie Philips, and Jon Pertwee. AKA Dr Who (4).

Pete

[PeteH]

SWMBO, Had the "treatment" on her Nissan, New, after 3 years never garaged. No fading and it sheds bird poo. after a decent shower of rain.

Pete

[DVD3500]

I used a "half garage" cover on my Spitfire's soft top when I moved to Germany and had to leave it in Michigan. It only covered from the top to the base of the windshield/rear window and only kept water from getting in.

The problem was it was very flappy in the wind and my Dad used bungee cords to hold it down and I had nice rubbing marks on the hood/bonnet, the doors and trunk/boot lid. The paint was already shot so I was not too terribly mad bit I reckon something more stable would have been better.