Looking for a high quality waterproof car cover for the 70 Skylark

[Smartin]

Since my car is going to sit in the driveway all Winter, I am looking for a quality waterproof cover for it.  I bought a knock-off last year for the 60, and it did not keep water out.  Recommendations are appreciated.

[buick5563]

I personally have the inexpensive car covers on my cars for indoor storage, but the California Covers that I have used on customer cars (that they purchased) were extremely high quality. Send a PM to Barney Eaton. He is a distributor (not sure which brand) and would have more knowledge than anybody about quality and other questions. 

[NTX5467]

There MIGHT be some issues with "waterproof".  Possibly more like "highly water resistant" as the only really "waterproof" would probably be some sort of "tarp", and probably "vinyl-coated" material.  It's necessary for accumulated moisture, even condensation, to "rise" and escape THROUGH the cover material.  If the vapors can get out, a certain amount of moisture could possibly penetrate to the vehicle's surface.  Possibly the same with particulate.  Which is why I mention "highly water resistant".

 

An A-body Skylark???

 

NTX5467

[JohnD1956]

Vermin love the dark comfy environment provided by a car cover.  Especially when it is in place for weeks at a time.

 

 

[Smartin]

I sent a PM to Barney.  I will see what his opinion is.

 

I have two "waterproof" covers that are a year old, and both of them leak badly at the seams.  I'm better off leaving it out in a monsoon.

 

The trunk on this car leaks a bit, so I want to keep it dry as much as I can.  I haven't had a chance to really see where it is coming from.

[JZRIV]

The only true waterproof covering I've seen that withstands extreme weather for extended periods is the heavy duty truck tarps. I've bought them used off Craigslist because new they are very expensive.  I'd cover the car with an outdoor cover with a soft inner lining then tarp it with a truck tarp.  A big benefit of the truck tarp besides an impenetrable barrier in snow, ice and driving rain conditions is they are very heavy and do NOT flap in the wind which is a cause for paint abrasions. i would sacrifice breathable for impenetrable and wind resistance characteristics

[JohnD1956]

Not inexpensive, and possibly a building code violation in the front yard, but in my opinion this is the best alternative for outdoor storage:

 

Metal canopy

 

I would also spend the extra for the certification option to make sure it is rated for snow load. 

[dship]

I have both my Buicks in vinyl structures from http://www.sheltersofamerica.com/index.php.  They're considered "temporary structures" in most towns, so they're not a building code violation (at least in my town).  The 7.5oz only lasts 3 to 4 years, but anything heavier is worth the $$.  The skeleton withstood 110" of snow I received in 2014...nice solid structure.  I just brushed the snow off after each storm.    

[JohnD1956]

I had one of those for a few years, but my town gave me a heap of trouble over it. I could have put it up in the back yard for 6 months with no problem.  Mine was a two car though and it was so big I just sold it rather than deal with erection and disassembly each year. 

[Smartin]

Structures are really not an option for me.  That would be fine if I could drive my car around the house and park it in the back, but that's not happening here.

 

I know covers aren't the best option for storing a car, but that's all I can do for now. 

[old-tank]

8.5' wide cargo trailer.

[Pilgrim65]

Had a problem here in Cyprus finding a cover big enough for Ruby , 5.3 m long and the only one I found which was for a merc s class was thin vynil same as I put on daily driver last winter was  ripped to bits by strong winds here. So have had one made in tarp material , $130 dear and bright green , but Ruby not complaining.

cheers

pilgrim

Edited November 27, 2016 by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Look at some sort of indoor storage. It might cost you $100 a month, but what is the car worth. Car covers shift with the wind and even a small amount of dirt on the car or in the fabric can rub through the paint during a few months of breezes. Years ago a friend of mine parked his car, covered and raised on jack stands, for the winter. When he uncovered it all the body line edges were bright shiny bare metal.

 

I posted a picture of my Riviera being washed in the garage on New Years Day about 15 years ago. Actually, I haven't washed one of my good cars in about 10 years. Using a hose, like rain water, fills every nook, cranny, and cavity with water that takes a long time to dry out. I have to drive in the rain sometimes but I avoid it along with soaking wash events.

 

I just came in for a few minutes. I was in the garage trying to figure how to juggle things around and which car to take to a storage unit for a month or so while I do some work on my tractor. Cars dissolve in water.

 

In 2005 I started using a storage unit provider and have been renting at least one unit every month since. He charges $110 and I just call and ask what unit is open. I have used it for my stuff and friend's. The down side is that I always have a spot for a bargain. I am pretty sure I am ahead just in the protection for the cars.

Bernie

[Pilgrim65]

Bernie, storage , sounds like good advice , see what I can sort when I go back in January. Good point about hoses to.

cheers

pilgrim

[EmTee]

I'm with Bernie -- seek indoor storage if at all possible.  There's nothing worse than flipping the cover off of your baby on that first sunny  65 degree April day and seeing the paint damage, surface rust and interior mold/mildew that you now have to contend with.     (Yes, I have that T-shirt...)

[Smartin]

I will periodically use the car, so it will not be sitting all Winter rotting under a cover.  All I want to do is keep the water out of the trunk while it isn't in use.  I found a cover, thanks to Barney.

[buick5563]

Drive it down here. I'll store it for ya, drive it occasionally, and buy you a beer and dinner AND a ride to the airport. It's 13 hours from STL to AUS unless you drive even faster than I do.

Edited November 28, 2016 by buick5563 (see edit history)

[Brad Conley]

1 hour ago, Smartin said:

I will periodically use the car, so it will not be sitting all Winter rotting under a cover.  All I want to do is keep the water out of the trunk while it isn't in use.  I found a cover, thanks to Barney.

Sooooo......What was the solution?

 

[Smartin]

It is getting a cover, but it will not be covered all the time.  When the weather is good, I drive my cars in the Winter.  As long as the roads are dry...

[91vert]

14 hours ago, Brad Conley said:

Sooooo......What was the solution?

 

 

X2

I guess he found a solution but doesn't want to share it.

I two are curios which cover is better.

 

Cal.

[Smartin]

I went with this one...

 

http://www.covercraft.com/us/en/product/covercraft-custom-weathershield-hp-car-cover.C-CCHP

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

 

  Hopen it works for you, Adam.   Neat car, BTW

 

  Ben

[ted sweet]

i have that cover not close to water proof

[C Carl]

Adam , Ted has discovered the real world truth about fabrics that try to do all things under all conditions all the time. Quite impossible. I had a company which made and introduced the world's first consumer Gore-Tex (TM) product. A two person extremely light weight single wall tent called the Light Dimension. A show stopping game changer. Waterproof to about 55psi , (mil-spec was 50 psi). The active layer is an extremely thin film of Teflon , in our case sandwiched between rip stop nylon , and a non directional flock on the inside to protect the membrane. Gore-Tex (TM) , allowed water vapor to pass the membrane  , as a molecule of H2O in gaseous form is very small , I seem to remember 2(H2O) , but as a liquid , many X(H2O) form a macro-molecule too large to pass the Teflon film. All well here so far. When the laminate becomes dirty with any type of surfactant that breaks down the surface tension of the macro-molecule (oils , detergents , etc. , etc. , etc.) , the laminate is no longer waterproof. Therefore it is extremely important to follow the manufacturers cleaning instructions carefully. Maintaining adequate seam sealing is also critical. These maintainance necessities will announce themselves when a very small leak is noticed by the enclosed person. Trouble is , a car can't tell you when it feels a drop. What I do in your situation is to wrap a clean waxed dry warm car in two or three clean dry cheap , NOT WATERPROOF car covers so there is ample breathing. Next an inexpensive tyvek cover , and last good old heavy plastic , with many of those squease on plastic grommets to tie that multi-layer "laminate" securely in place. Make sure that any "skirt" does not touch the wet driveway , and if done right , your car will stay dry for long periods between drives. Proper layering is the only way to provide long term protection. Your new cover would be a very good option when traveling for short term protection. Not really practical nor necessary to carry and deploy multi-layers frequently. Do you guys think there would be more exposure of this important thread if it were shared with "General" ? I think all the good info here is not just Buick specific. Could a moderator duplicate this in "General" ? Keep it dry this Winter , Adam , and heed well Teds warning.  - Carl

Edited January 28, 2017 by C Carl
Expansion and clarification (see edit history)

[91vert]

16 hours ago, Smartin said:

I went with this one...

 

http://www.covercraft.com/us/en/product/covercraft-custom-weathershield-hp-car-cover.C-CCHP

 

Looks like a good choice.

Hope it works well for you.

Maybe you could let us know later if it lives up to the expectations.

 

Cal.

[buick5563]

I don't go to the AACA site, so don't move it. Start a new one up there.

[C Carl]

O.K. , guys , sorry 'bout that. I have edited and expanded my posting to suggest SHARING with "General". I think there is some way to duplicate threads in another heading , but being a very primitive creature in a number of ways , I am not sure. Seems there was some mix up just a few days ago with two locations for a detergent oil discussion. Yes , it is very sad when someone seriously damages a car by wrapping it improperly. Several months ago there was a rare '37 Cadillac 2 door sedan on C.L.C discussion forums. Tarped outdoors for perhaps just a year or so of its almost 80 years , paint took a beating , and condensation turned interior patina into interior damage. It had been a well preserved original. Good idea to expose a wide audience to the perils lurking from well intended efforts. You absolutely MUST provide a thick enough dry layer to allow the surface to breathe sufficiently , and a 100% TOTALLY impermeable layer against precipitation. I enjoy spending time on the Buick forums since cousins Cadillac/Buick must fascinate owners of each by comparison with the other. Buick owners have the greatest amount of participation representing all years , so it is quite rewarding for me to linger in the Buick universe. I can certainly understand that time being a limited commodity, many people would not have time to spend on other forums. I don't spend much time outside of old cars , and I probably spend more time than I ought to with my face in the screen as it is.  - Carl

[60FlatTop]

Just to chime in on another option not mentioned, ten or twelve years ago I bought a car sized storage tents for a couple of hundred bucks. I set it up on one side of my yard and parked my Riviera away for the winter. We got a blizzard and the snow overloaded the tent. It collapsed on the car without damaging it, but the weather warmed before I could clear things up. Then we got a thaw. The material was waterproof all right and a big sag of water filled tent covered the left front. Then it froze. I had a solid block of ice molded to the front of the car. And that didn't thaw until Spring.

 

And they say old men are fussy about things and get grumpy. It ain't age. It's experience.

Bernie

[MrEarl]

I've always bought some really nice ones off eBay. Never had one to fail within the warranty period, which I believe is like 30 days. As mentioned above it's very important to let the car breathe, and these are great at that.

[Barney Eaton]

Sure the answer is to find good dry indoor storage, but that was not the question or issue.   If you must store a car outside what option do you have?

I have been selling Covercrafts products for 34 years and have talked to lots of people with different problems and different budgets.

If you have a parts car and all you want to do, as cheaply as possible to save the interior,  a waterproof tarp is the cheapest option.

Companies like Covercraft do not sell "waterproof" covers,  the reason is they trap moisture under the cover.  Over the years many new fabrics/materials have been developed that repel water quite nicely (Gortex is one material but I don't know a cover manufacturer that make a cover of that material because of the cost)  The materials are listed as water repellant to different degrees but they all breathe.   At one time Covercraft made a cover that had sealant applied to the seams to reduce water intrusion but that was expensive.   Outdoor car covers should be used for short periods of time as even the "breathable" ones can retain moisture if the outside humidity remains high.

If your town/development will allow,  use a cover method that does not touch the car.   The cheapest approach is to make a PVC frame and put a inexpensive waterproof tarp over the frame.   This protects the vehicle and if there is moisture inside the cover is not touching the car and that eliminates one big issue.  Also, do not make or buy a storage solution that has a flat top....that is just asking for problems, you need one that allows water, snow and ice to run off .   After this cheap approach there are lots of more expensive temporary structures that can be purchased depending on your budget and how nice you want it to look.

So the solution is anywhere from a tarp to building a garage.

 

[NTX5467]

One other solution which can have other uses, OR expand some current ones, is to rent a storage space in a gated facioity.  Might cost $100/month or so, for a 1 car space.

 

NTX5467

[Smartin]

The cover arrived today, and is a much better quality material than what I have bought in the past.  Hopefully, it will work for my purposes.  It also fits much better than others I've bought.

[C Carl]

Adam , please let us know how your new car cover has worked out so far. There is a new thread on this topic "Outside Car Cover" started under "General Discussion" at the top of forums.  - Carl

Edited January 28, 2017 by C Carl (see edit history)

[Smartin]

So far so good.  I am impressed with its ability to keep the water out, yet still breathe enough to allow the air under the cover circulate.  The water beads up and runs off.

[Red Dawn]

Please share what you decided to go with and approximate cost. I want to do the same thing for my new acquisition.

[C Carl]

Mark , please see Adam's post #21 on page 1.  - Carl

[C Carl]

It would be interesting to get a progress report from Adam at this time. I will ask by way of P.M. for a status update.   - Carl

[Smartin]

He Carl, thanks for bringing this back up.  I've been using the cover on the Skylark since it arrived last Summer/Fall.  It fits really well...like it was tailor made for my car.  It's much lighter material than the others I have bought.  It is staying supple and not staining.  It keeps the rain out and breathes well.  I use a bungee cord across the bottom of the car side-to-side to keep it from flapping in the wind. 

 

Big thumbs up to Barney's recommendation.

[Guest Douglas]

I bought for my car 5 layers cover (like that https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HFRBZL?psc=1). I actively used it for almost a half a year and I am quite satisfied with it.

[NC1968Riviera]

I ordered the Premium cover from carcovers.com. Very happy with it. The security cables and brass locks that come with them are not the best quality though. I would recommend buying a heavier duty cable and lock on Amazon.