It's been dipping below freezing everynight where i live and i was wondering if i should buy a car cover to keep my paint/car looking good. Every morning i wake up and my car is covered in ice, some parts are like 1/2 inch thick, there are also water spots that are frozen. Would buying a car cover prevent this happening to my car and occur juston the cover? If so how long can i expect a car cover to last in this kind of weather?

 

i dont think a car cover would help you much with ice if it is not water proof the water will get in the fabric and freeze then you will not be able to get it off the car

 

Long term storage outside = yes....everyday use outside = no. Outdoor car covers are not water proof, they are water repellant but some level of water/moisture will transfer through and thus freeze the cover to your car. If your car is a DD and you are forced to park it outside then I think you just need to grin and bear it - and plan on doing a full 3-4 step professional detail on your car when the weather breaks.

The other thing with covering and uncovering a car everyday is swirls/scratches....unless you take the time to clean your car everynight before you cover it, you are going to get the underside of the cover dirty and then cause swirls to the paint over time.

 

same here man i have a cover but only put it on after i detail it and i know im not gonna drive it so when i do go and cruise ittll be nice and clean no dust. i gotta do a serious detail as son as the weather breaks as well cant wait i love detailing my car

 

Does ice ruin paint/chrome?

 

if it falls on the paint absolutely but if it freezes on the paint i dont think so but i may be wrong

 

Ice is just frozen rain, so no it won't ruin your paint. But just like rain, eventually you will have to do a serious detail job to get rid of the contaminates and ill effects from the water.

Now if you are a fool and try to srape the ice of your car, then say hello to tons of swirls and scratches [:@] Leave it be and let it melt naturally.

And as for the ice falling - "Oh know, I shot my eye out...........Ralphie, your very lucky. Those icicles have been known to kill people" [8D]

 

Another factor with an outside cover is blowing from the wind. If your car has any dirt under the cover it will act like sandpaper. Sitting outside all the time is hard on seals as well either hot or cold or freezing and unfreezing. Making sure you keep your seals from "drying out" will prevent them from cracking as well. Just like sowaxeman said, frozen water wont hurt your paint.

 

In your case, no. I use an expensive breathable car cover on my car whenever I know there will be heavy winds and **** is getting blown around. The cover I use is breathable, so water regularly runs through it. The biggest advantage with the covers is that it helps prevent slight dents from crap falling from the tree's. Make sa difference considering my car is black. I also like it because it keeps bird crap off my car when I go away for a long weekend or something and I dont take my car. The bird **** can etch the paint.

Jim