Car cover
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 749
From:
RE: Car cover
I have Covercraft NOAH car covers for all of my vehicles. They are awesome, and are available at lots of places including www.webcovers.com, and possibly some supporting vendors too (sorry for the possible link to a nonsupporting member, but I have no affiliation).
They are light, soft, and durable. On or off in about 60 seconds (as long as you pu them away so that you know where the front is!)
dhg
They are light, soft, and durable. On or off in about 60 seconds (as long as you pu them away so that you know where the front is!)
dhg
6th Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,390
From: West Los Angeles
RE: Car cover
Here's some photos of my car cover.
Got it from CDC for $154:
http://www.classicdesignconcepts.com...splay/644.html
It's for covered parking. If you will be parking outdoors with no cover ( smening it might get wet) you will want something better (more expensive).
[IMG]local://upfiles/15212/7DF3B30E0EB64318879E01B45CDA8956.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/15212/27A52B3A23BF4528A326135F29390891.jpg[/IMG]
Got it from CDC for $154:
http://www.classicdesignconcepts.com...splay/644.html
It's for covered parking. If you will be parking outdoors with no cover ( smening it might get wet) you will want something better (more expensive).
[IMG]local://upfiles/15212/7DF3B30E0EB64318879E01B45CDA8956.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/15212/27A52B3A23BF4528A326135F29390891.jpg[/IMG]
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 749
From:
RE: Car cover
ORIGINAL: jt14894
I cover my car 365 days a year.
The one I use this the Budge Shield cover from Walmart.
For $59.99, I think its a pretty good value for the money.
I cover my car 365 days a year.
The one I use this the Budge Shield cover from Walmart.
For $59.99, I think its a pretty good value for the money.
1) the good, breathable, long lasting fabrics are quite expensive even for manufactureres to buy in bulk. If you have paid $59 for a cover, I strongly suspect that it is not a quality material (dupont Tyvek, for example, may be good for envelopes and sealing houses but it is not a good car cover). If it doesn't breathe then you are accelerating corrosion throughout your car. Also, if it is not a "custom fit" cover, then you may be putting unnecesary paint wear on some of the sharp corners of your car.
2) If you are not washing the car before you cover it, the fine road dust will get ground into your paint, causing fine (or not so fine) scratches into the paint. This dust and grit will also get into the fabric, turning the cover into fine sandpaper which will cause scratches even on a clean car. This too can accelerate paint wear on the corners, too.
If you plan on keeping your car for a while then invest in a good, custom fit car cover like NOAH, Evolution 4+, etc, and put it over a clean car only.
I have been covering cars and boats for 25 years. Whenever I have "cheaped out" with covers (which I have done with boats a few times, but not with cars), I have paid the price in terms of mildew and corrosion.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 337
From: Tampa, FL
RE: Car cover
ORIGINAL: 5xStang
A couple of observations; not meaning to flame you so try not to flame me back:
1) the good, breathable, long lasting fabrics are quite expensive even for manufactureres to buy in bulk. If you have paid $59 for a cover, I strongly suspect that it is not a quality material (dupont Tyvek, for example, may be good for envelopes and sealing houses but it is not a good car cover). If it doesn't breathe then you are accelerating corrosion throughout your car. Also, if it is not a "custom fit" cover, then you may be putting unnecesary paint wear on some of the sharp corners of your car.
2) If you are not washing the car before you cover it, the fine road dust will get ground into your paint, causing fine (or not so fine) scratches into the paint. This dust and grit will also get into the fabric, turning the cover into fine sandpaper which will cause scratches even on a clean car. This too can accelerate paint wear on the corners, too.
If you plan on keeping your car for a while then invest in a good, custom fit car cover like NOAH, Evolution 4+, etc, and put it over a clean car only.
I have been covering cars and boats for 25 years. Whenever I have "cheaped out" with covers (which I have done with boats a few times, but not with cars), I have paid the price in terms of mildew and corrosion.
ORIGINAL: jt14894
I cover my car 365 days a year.
The one I use this the Budge Shield cover from Walmart.
For $59.99, I think its a pretty good value for the money.
I cover my car 365 days a year.
The one I use this the Budge Shield cover from Walmart.
For $59.99, I think its a pretty good value for the money.
1) the good, breathable, long lasting fabrics are quite expensive even for manufactureres to buy in bulk. If you have paid $59 for a cover, I strongly suspect that it is not a quality material (dupont Tyvek, for example, may be good for envelopes and sealing houses but it is not a good car cover). If it doesn't breathe then you are accelerating corrosion throughout your car. Also, if it is not a "custom fit" cover, then you may be putting unnecesary paint wear on some of the sharp corners of your car.
2) If you are not washing the car before you cover it, the fine road dust will get ground into your paint, causing fine (or not so fine) scratches into the paint. This dust and grit will also get into the fabric, turning the cover into fine sandpaper which will cause scratches even on a clean car. This too can accelerate paint wear on the corners, too.
If you plan on keeping your car for a while then invest in a good, custom fit car cover like NOAH, Evolution 4+, etc, and put it over a clean car only.
I have been covering cars and boats for 25 years. Whenever I have "cheaped out" with covers (which I have done with boats a few times, but not with cars), I have paid the price in terms of mildew and corrosion.
I wash and wax my car as much as I can so the dust, oil, tar, etc. won't affect the paint.
The Budge cover I use is of excellent material. There are cheaper covers ($19.99, $39.99) of this brand, which give limited degrees of protection, but the one that I use is made of quality fabrics that are, like you said, breathable.
Its also is water resistant, protects against UV rays, and allows moisture to escape.
Most of the time, my car is covered under something. When I drive it to work, its always under the protection of a parking garage.
And when I get home, the cover goes on immediately.
I've been using this type of cover for a long time, on previous vehicles and other vehicles I own, and I haven't had any problems with it affecting my car's overall appearance.
Thread Starter
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 293
From:
RE: Car cover
thanks guys. The problem i have is, if i park in side the parking garage the space is smaller and more cars get broken into. if i park on the top floor people inside can view my car from the hospital offices. thanks for all the help.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 749
From:
RE: Car cover
ORIGINAL: FastBackDan
thanks guys. The problem i have is, if i park in side the parking garage the space is smaller and more cars get broken into. if i park on the top floor people inside can view my car from the hospital offices. thanks for all the help.
thanks guys. The problem i have is, if i park in side the parking garage the space is smaller and more cars get broken into. if i park on the top floor people inside can view my car from the hospital offices. thanks for all the help.
1st Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 118
From:
RE: Car cover
I have used for years covercraft weathershield. I purchased my cover directly from the Ford Dealer it cost approximately $320.00. I usually purchase the covers from auto anything but I didn't want my pony uncovered at work for a couple weeks waiting for it to arrive. I have been covering my vehicles since 1984.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 701
From: New Bern, NC
RE: Car cover
You don't use the car for a "daily driver"? You wash it every day? You only cover it on Mondays? You wash it, put it in the garage and cover it? Till........?
I covered my last ride for better than 20 years. I'd say the paint looked pretty good. Kept my interior and external rubber/plastic parts in excellent shape. Washed it as needed. Washed it a lot when new, much less as it got older. ALWAYS COVERED IT AT WORK. Always bought qaulity covers. BUT, think I screwed up when I tryed the Zytek cover, think that one did not protect the paint enough.
Anyway, I THINK if you use a quality cover, minimize dragging over paint, don't put in on a really dirty car, you be OK. My personal method was to "flop" the cover over and over ending with a big bundle on the roof top, then put it into ther trunk with the same alignment. Then in the morning I would place it gently in the roof, and "un-flop" it, probably took like 30/45 seconds. I've seen people fold their covers in one way or another, neatly, ofted dragging it over the car in the process, but, why? If it is a "daily driver" the bulky cover in the trunk may be in the way once in awhile. By the way with the GT, I start and end the cover/un-cover process on the rear window, a little less affect on the paint.
I covered my last ride for better than 20 years. I'd say the paint looked pretty good. Kept my interior and external rubber/plastic parts in excellent shape. Washed it as needed. Washed it a lot when new, much less as it got older. ALWAYS COVERED IT AT WORK. Always bought qaulity covers. BUT, think I screwed up when I tryed the Zytek cover, think that one did not protect the paint enough.
Anyway, I THINK if you use a quality cover, minimize dragging over paint, don't put in on a really dirty car, you be OK. My personal method was to "flop" the cover over and over ending with a big bundle on the roof top, then put it into ther trunk with the same alignment. Then in the morning I would place it gently in the roof, and "un-flop" it, probably took like 30/45 seconds. I've seen people fold their covers in one way or another, neatly, ofted dragging it over the car in the process, but, why? If it is a "daily driver" the bulky cover in the trunk may be in the way once in awhile. By the way with the GT, I start and end the cover/un-cover process on the rear window, a little less affect on the paint.