BEST CAR COVER

[Guest another Ratman]

Miss Daisy (1950 Chrysler Saratoga) is almost finished and ready to come home. She lives in Michigan and will be kept in a unheated large garage. What is the best car cover for her. I will take her to shows and she will be outside once in a while at a show or camping or touring. I am not interested in a fan driven bubble container. I would like a costom cover that fits her voluptious curves and protects paint from weather, contact, UV rays, bird droppings, sap, etc. Too many covers on search engines to go through. So, please tell me which one is best, overall of the bunch. Thanks, Another Ratman.

[huptoy]

I can't tell which one is best.

I purchased a cover called "CARJacket"

In the winter I drive on the flap and put the cover (bag) over it and zip it up at floor level.

It is sealed very well and comes with crystals to dry out the air inside the car bag.

I have only used it in my garage. I also have a home made dust cover to put between the cover and the bag.

When I use just the dust cover in the garage, it is to avoid dusting the car before driving it.

In an unheated garage, when the tempature riases, a cement floor will sweat and cause

I have a wooded area behind my garage and I have a problem with mice getting in the garage.

Over a period of 4 or 5 years the mice never got inside the bag.

However, I was getting from 10 to 20 mice in snap traps plus I put out poison pellets.

We had hail damage a couple of years ago and with the better seals around the new door the mouse count has gone down to only one or 2.

My car is black, painted 15 years ago, the sap and bird dropping come off easily.

It was painted in 1998 and still looks good enough to get a trophy when I show it.

I have driven the car 17,000 in the last 13 years, it has spent many a day and maybe 30 nights out without a cover.

I purchased my cover at Hershey and was able to look and handle the various products.

About 15 years ago, I stored a convertible in a rented barn for 5 months over the winter.

He said the doors would be closed but he lied.

The wind caused the cover to flap and marred the paint on one door.

IF you have the room, have you considered an enclosed car trailer?

At different tours, owners will keep their car in the trailer when not using it.

Makes a secure place overnight or at your house.

[R Walling]

You already have a car cover. "large garage"

I have bought covers for cars and eventually stopped using them. They are a pain in the @$$ to keep clean while they are not on the car and I am concerned about scratching the car when I unroll and position them.

Cover the windows in the garage to keep out light and prying eyes if you wish, just wash it each time you take it out for a ride, before (not after) .

I feed the little critters lots of bait in the garage early in the fall so that they don't have to go looking for it. I never found a dead one in my cars yet.

[Guest another Ratman]

Thank you both for taking the time to answer my questions. It is a lot to think about. Be safe and may God bless you both. Another Ratman and Miss Daisy

[Scooter Guy]

If you really want the sort of cover you're describing, look at the offerings from California Car Cover.

That said, some things you should think about before you buy and use a cover:

-You don't want to put a cover on a car that isn't perfectly, spotlessly clean. The dust, dirt, and road grime on the car will scratch the paint when the cover is dragged across the top of it. It might be only micro-marring level scratches, but it's happening nonetheless. I wouldn't cover a car that I'd been driving for a few days nor one that has been sitting outside for any length of time.

-If it is windy or the cover can shift at all, it will rub all of the dust, dirt, grit, and grime into your paint work as if it were sandpaper.

-If it rains, you'd better hope that cover is really water proof because you absolutely do not want water sitting between the car and the cover, especially as things start to dry out. It can cause hazing and cloudy spots. Those can show up especially badly on dark colored cars with clear coat, so if that fits the bill for you, something else to think about. Also, if you get caught in the rain, do you really want to have to run out in a downpour and either put the cover on the car (while getting soaked) or take the cover off the car and try to stuff it into a bag?

-Getting them on and off without getting them dirty or dragging them on the ground is harder than it looks. The best way to do it is to use more than one person, which isn't always possible.

-If the cover gets dirty, it's not something you can wash in a home washing machine. You'll need to take it somewhere where you can put it in a very high capacity commercial washing machine. Not impossible to do, just a pain.

As has already been said, I think you'll get tired of having to deal with the cover. Sure, they can do some good, but they can also cause a lot of damage. If you have the car for the purpose of driving it, then do just that and detail it when you come home. Park it in the garage as often as possible, otherwise consider the vehicle "in use" and just do the best you can to take care of it.

[Guest billybird]

I too opt for the garage. I got tired of taking the cover on and off, storing, washing,etc. I just use a California Car Duster and dust mine everyday just like a piece of furniture. works fine for me. Actually, the cars get dusted more than the furniture, but thats another story. However, If I were going to use a cover I would agree with Scooter Guy's advice.

[caddyshack]

Absolutely California Car Cover. Many different styles to choose from and price ranges. Quality is excellent. Just my opinion, good luck.

[Guest another Ratman]

Well, now I'm leaning towards a car jacket for winter only storage (rust/moisture concerns) and nothing for daily routine inside the garage. However, I still would like to have some kind of cover for overnight at car shows, mostly to keep her clean. Thanks everyone for your help. Another Ratman

[Guest bofusmosby]

My car is parked ina 100+ year old carriage house, and I have to keep it covered because of all the insect droppings, spyder mess that falls on the car. I always wash my car before installing the cover. Before I remove the cover, I use a leaf blower to blow off all the crap that has fallen on the cover.

[John_Maine]

I, too, have given up on car covers. I've bought cheap ones and expensive ones and just don't have very good luck with them. Since I had my garage built, the only time I cover them is winter and I use some old blankets we had laying around. During driving season, I leave them uncovered and just dust with a California duster.

[Guest another Ratman]

Great imput. Thanks again. Another Ratman

[cahartley]

I have a dry 40 × 80 steel pole building with a dirt floor....at least a 6" layer of DRY road mat material.

When I had the shed built I told the contractor I wanted a drafty shed.....not a humidity trap.

The only thing I do with ONE car, my '19 Model T Touring, is throw a $6 blue tarp over the top. I don't even secure it.

I cover that one because the new top I had put on cost plenty and I want to protect it.

If not for that I wouldn't bother with that one either.

[Trulyvintage]

As discussed - a lot depends on the garage you keep it in. If the garage is weather tight and does not have debris falling from the rafters, the best approach is no car cover. It is advisable to have some light under the car to discourage critters and some rodent repellant (if needed).

[Scooter Guy]

Well, now I'm leaning towards a car jacket for winter only storage (rust/moisture concerns)

After years of looking at them and thinking about getting one, I finally bought one of them a year or so ago. It's actually a motorcycle jacket (also from California Car Cover). I actually am able to store 2-3 scooters in one motorcycle bag for long term storage. The main idea for me was keeping dirt, dust, and critters out. Moisture control with these bags is an issue though. They come with small desiccant bags, but went a little further and bought 4 four pound desiccant bags on ebay (intended for use in gun safes) to help absorb moisture inside of the bag. The bag I have is the model with the deluxe lining with the rust inhibitor in it that apparently also combats moisture, but I didn't think adding desiccant was a bad idea. It is probably overkill, but they were cheap, so why not.

However, I do routinely open it up and let it air out. I want to make sure I'm not trapping moisture in the bag and that I'm able to air out any fumes, etc. I'm not sure how breathable they are (I don't think they are supposed to be) either. I also dry out the desiccant bags in the oven every now and then, but it's a long, slow process so I don't do it as often as I probably should.