Conventional wisdom on car covers?

[Bluejeepnut]

For indoor storage, is an appropriate type (e.g., California Car Cover) car cover recommended? Some say cloth covers still let dust through. Or, is it better to leave the car uncovered and periodically use a detailer product to ‘dry wash’ fine dust away? 

[3macboys]

I've taken to using the thinnest poly - think vapor barrier - that I can get from my local lumber yard, cut it to length off the roll and hold it in place with a magnet on each corner.  It's cheap, keeps the car clean and is reusable.  

[John348]

All depends how good the finish is on the car is. I like the California Car Covers myself I have a few for over 20 years 

[John_S_in_Penna]

10 hours ago, 3macboys said:

I've taken to using the thinnest poly - think vapor barrier...

I've read that plastic is never recommended for

a car cover.  It's a vapor barrier, yes;  but it can trap

moisture underneath the cover and against the car!

 

I have seen a 1958 Buick Limited whose lacquer paint

was badly damaged by just such an application.  Maybe

Mac Boy's car is in just the right combination of 

temperature and humidity where there have been

no problems yet.

 

I tend to use outdoor covers indoors:  Being thicker,

they protect the car a little better from an inadvertent

scratch.  They do let fine dust through, however.

[Guest]

 Any cover that you drag over your car will scratch it a little.😮

 Add a little dust on the car, more scratches.🤬

 Store the cover in a ball and mix the dust all around and scratch the car again the next time that you use it.🥵

 

 I never use a cover, I let the dust build up and then  rinse it before use or blow it off with an air gun.☺️

 

[alsancle]

I think I’ve come full circle on this. I used to have a California car cover on each car.

 

If the environment is relatively clean, i.e. not in a shop. I think I would go without. Half the joy of having the car is it being able to look at them.

[3macboys]

55 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

I've read that plastic is never recommended for

a car cover.  It's a vapor barrier, yes;  but it can trap

moisture underneath the cover and against the car!

 

I have seen a 1958 Buick Limited whose lacquer paint

was badly damaged by just such an application.  Maybe

Mac Boy's car is in just the right combination of 

temperature and humidity where there have been

no problems yet.

 

I tend to use outdoor covers indoors:  Being thicker,

they protect the car a little better from an inadvertent

scratch.  They do let fine dust through, however.

You are quite right about the humidity etc - I should have mentioned that I keep the windows open and I do run a dehumidifier year round to keep the shop around 50-55% along with fans blowing across the floor.   I also cover the car loosely and just so that  the flat surfaces are covered, and never put the cover back on until the car is dry.  I do work in the same area that the cars are stored so I do generate some dust on my own.  After I originally posted that I did have the thought that it really depends on the car - my solution is not going to work on a Corvette, have a heck of time using magnets!  

[60FlatTop]

I don't cover my cars in the garage at home. I like to see them and walk around with a squirt bottle of detailer keeping them dust free and shiny.

 

Last winter I stored my Buick convertible away from home to get some much appreciated space. $30 a month, how could I resist just one of them.

 

I used a decent carcovers.com cover and a Harbor Freight tarp.

 

[EmTee]

1 minute ago, 60FlatTop said:

I used a decent carcovers.com cover and a Harbor Freight tarp.

I would have placed a tarp under the car in that situation...

[60FlatTop]

You didn't see the roof.

 

[60FlatTop]

Some images just get stuck in your head.

 

[avgwarhawk]

I use cotton sheets.  Not so much to keep dust off but for particulate from sprays that get airborne and settle on surfaces.  One being my cars. Spray paint and other sprays I use in the garage. 

[TAKerry]

I have a good indoor quality California Car Cover. Price was in line with competitors, high quality and fits perfect. I have a system I developed years ago to install and take it off, no sliding around to 'scratch' the paint. I suppose the little bit of movement it does get is no more than the micro fibre I wax with.  I dont use it that much. Like others on here, I get a slight bit of enjoyment just peeking into the garage on occasion to look at the car (sounds stupid in writing). When I want to get it out for a drive saves me 1 minute to not have to uncover. The other thing I found is that I dont like to put it on when the car is warm coming back to the garage after a drive. So I will park the car with thoughts of going back later to cover. Later is usually the next morning and it doesnt happen. My cover will let fine dust through. I try to keep my garage clean, but there is always at least one, sometimes 2 doors open that let the outside in. All that said I will keep using it. I really like the looks of the car capsules that are out there now. Once I get my next restoration in the books and be to free up some car cash I may seriously look into them. Too many other things needed for a luxury item like that now though.

[TAKerry]

9 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

Some images just get stuck in your head.

 

YIKES!!

[Str8-8-Dave]

I still use California Car Covers on my cars, for the 1931 Buick I found a returned cover being sold by CCC on E-bay that was actually designed for a 1937 Olds sedan.  It's an indoor cover made with their Dust Stop fabric and it keeps the dust, quite prevalent in my garage, off the paint.  It would have been better to order a custom-made cover, this one is long enough but sides are not tall enough to reach the running boards, so some dust makes its way to the fender aprons and running board aprons.  For $150 it was a prudent buy. 

 

For my 2015 Porsche 911-4S I bought a custom fitted CCC cover for about $300.  The car is worth 3 times what the Buick would sell for.  That cover reaches down past the rocker panels by a good bit and the elastic makes it pretty form fitting.  This cover is also indoor-only. 

 

As far as the dust abrasion comments, if the car finish is clean when the cover goes on there will be minimal abrasion and the car will still be clean when the cover comes off.

 

  This 1937 Olds cover was returned to California Car Cover and I bought it on E-Bay.  Not a perfect fit but acceptable and it keeps the dust off my 1931 Buick 8-66S

 

 

The cover on my Porsche 911 S4 was a custom fit cover and cost twice as much as the Buick cover.  It fits the car well and keeps the dust off the paint.

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by Str8-8-Dave
Arrange pictures, captions (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Another possibility:  One of our experienced local

club members uses several thick, padded moving-van

blankets spread across his car.  He has done this for

many years with evident success.  He says he likes the

protection that the thick padding provides.

[TAKerry]

2017-08-09_09-07-11 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr

This is the cover on my Trans Am. Nice and stretchy, good fit. Does not keep the dust out though.

[Rivguy]

I have been using cheap car covers on the cars I park outside. I use a car duster and water less car wash to keep them clean. I know that there will be some abrasion from dust, but the protection from UV rays and bird droppings is worth it. The cars in my garage are covered and protected from minor impacts by thick old bed spreads. The finishes on my cars has held up pretty good well for a number of years. It's all a trade off, cars are structures that were designed to stand outside with the elements. Have you ever seen an open yard full of undelivered brand new cars sitting outside before delivery? Covered with dust and exposed to UV and the elements. The finishes are considered tough enough to stand up to this without damage. At least for  several years. As an enthusiast I try to preserve my cars the best I can. My biggest problem was getting my Wife to quit piling stuff on my cars in the garage. 

[Soupiov]

I'd rather have dust on my cars than rodents under a cover.  Covers provide just the right environment the little critters love!

[MarkV]

For in the garage anything works. 
 

I don’t waste money on California car covers. Their elastic goes bad and boom there goes your $$$. Just buy a cheapie and replace it often. 

[TAKerry]

5 hours ago, MarkV said:

For in the garage anything works. 
 

I don’t waste money on California car covers. Their elastic goes bad and boom there goes your $$$. Just buy a cheapie and replace it often. 

Mine is about 5 years old and still looks and acts like new. I bought a cotton cover in 1982 for my then new firebird from Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories and am still using it on my '79 car! Def. got my money's worth out of that one!!

 

Cover or not, but if one is to cover I dont understand the logic, that a person will have a car worth many thousands of dollars, sometimes with a paint job worth even more and then not want to spend $200 for a decent cover.

[ejboyd5]

If you have a car cover it will cut down on your use of the car. Just remember all the times you might have taken a spur of the moment drive but were deterred by the thought of having to remove the cover and then having to replace it when you returned home.   

[MarkV]

44 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

Mine is about 5 years old and still looks and acts like new. I bought a cotton cover in 1982 for my then new firebird from Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories and am still using it on my '79 car! Def. got my money's worth out of that one!!

 

Cover or not, but if one is to cover I dont understand the logic, that a person will have a car worth many thousands of dollars, sometimes with a paint job worth even more and then not want to spend $200 for a decent cover.

maybe they are better now? But I wasted so much cash on covers used daily just to see the elastic disintegrate and the cover become useless.

[Professor]

All else equal, a cover that sits on a car will abrade paint more than dust that is rinsed off. Once you add in real-life factors such as animals, acid rain, more abrasive forms of dust such as sand, etc. using a cover or not is not so cut-and-dry.

 

I keep my cars in a closed-in garage and would never use a car cover under those conditions.  If I stored my vehicles in an unenclosed area with cats or critters that enjoy jumping on cars, I would likely use a car cover. 

 

I would never, under any circumstances, drive a car and park it and put a cover on it without washing and drying it first, and making sure the cover did not have remnant dust or dirt on it.  The dust and dirt from a drive coupled with the cover moving as it is put on or in the wind may abrade the paint more than no cover, animals notwithstanding.

 

Joe

 

[TAKerry]

Honestly I have no dog in this fight, my position is that I own covers but find myself rarely using the one my driving car. Mostly because of laziness I suppose. I have a black car and do not see dust as a deterrent to using one for fear of harming the paint. I have so many coats of wax on the car that the dust would have to be about 60 grit before the damage starts. I really dont see an issue with dust being trapped under the cover and abrasion to the paint.

[supercub]

I brought a Wasp specific car cover and it fits like a glove. I use it if I need to park it outside if I need it's garage bay for something. I dont generate much dust in the garage, the bandsaw and small belt sander aren't used heavily. I do all of my dirty work on my shed. Otherwise, I keep the garage fan ventilated and the Wasp uncovered, enjoying its carma while I work on my bikes.