Car Cover worth it for the winter?

Dirk SC

Registered User
First of all I am a student and dont have tons of money to throw around this time of year... and yes I know I picked the wrong vehicle to not want to throw $ at.

That being said we are soon to get snow here and my bird is parked. I have done all of the other necessary winter prep stuff but i was wondering if a cover is really going to do that much good. I will not be brushing the snow off, unless its huge and i can without touching the paint, and it will be in a place where not that much other crap can get on it.

I dont really want to spend $2-300 for nothing. Is the cover really going to make much of a difference with snow?
 
Given your situation, I'd say it's a double-edged sword. A "weather proof" cover will help keep your car dry, but some moisture will get through/condensate underneath. Unless you're going to remove it frequently to let the car dry out, it's inviting all kinds of moisture-related problems; rust, mildew, wiring gremlins, etc. At least without a cover, the car will dry out naturally as the snow melts (assuming the drain holes are clear, and the car doesn't leak). You're probably not worried about sun fade at your latitude and season. And, if there's nothing that can fall/accumulate on the car (industrial fall-out, tree debris, bird droppings, etc.), then you're probably okay without a cover. Maybe someone with more direct experience on this can offer further advise. There might be some type of "whiz-bang" cover/material that will not let moisture through, but will breathe adequately to prevent the rust, mildew, etc. problems.

Ideally, you'd use a car cover constructed of lumber, plywood, shingles and siding...

JD
 
dirk,
I would leave it uncovered if you have 300 you can get a portable garage which would be a good idea but I leave my sc's outside most of the winter withour problems. you either need to clean it off before it metls and freezes or leave it until all the ice and snow melts off completley. My friend uses a cover on his GTO and there are a few rub marks from the cover but that coulds be from how it was tied.
John
 
I had a car cover on mine for one winter and it ~~~~ed up the paint. Having the car cover blow back and forth even just a little bit acted like sand paper and burned some of my clear coat away.

Leave it uncovered.
 
I had a car cover on mine for one winter and it ~~~~ed up the paint. Having the car cover blow back and forth even just a little bit acted like sand paper and burned some of my clear coat away.

Leave it uncovered.
Agreed,
Car cover did more damage to the paint then leaving it uncovered.
The wind gets underneath and rubs on the paint. I had a portable garage set up and was much better, but it was too close to the opening door and the back and forth rubbed the front of the car just like the car cover.
If you do a portable garage make sure it will be secured to the ground using bigger anchors. They sell them at HOme depot.
Hope and pray that hurracane like winds dont hit it because if air get caught and something is not secured the whole thing will come down on your car.
 
Ok, unfortunatly the portable cover is not an option. I will just make sure to take good care of it.
 
More important is what you park it on.
If it's on concrete or pavement, it's not a problem.
But, if you are parking it on dirt, grass or stones, then you might have a
moisture problem.
If it is dirt grass or stones, then buy a cheap plastic drop cloth and put that down first and drive your car over it.
 
Concrete sweats tons of moisture!! Park it over a tarp no mater what the surface is unless you have the luxury of a temp controlled environment. For the record my '89 is pristine to use Dave Dalke's words and it is original paint and covered indoors & out.

Investing the money in a good cover is part of the trick, as is getting a cover designed for the exact environment and circumstances.

I don't recall where you are, but keep in mind the snow collecting on your car is gonna be full of evironmental 'toxins' and the best wax is only gonna protect so long against so much.

Just my $.02
 
I put a cover over my car for a year and everything underneath it got surface rust, not enough to cause any issues but since my car was 100% rust free before the winter that kinda pissed me off.
 
Back
Top