Au naturale or covered.

[Bobthebeard]

Looking like the MG ZT will be stored at our static caravan for the winter. Have heard that car covers can be worse than leaving the car naked. Thinking ahead.

Any thoughts?

[oldcars]

I think they rub the paint a way when its windy. I think they can trap damp under them as well. Will the car be parked on a hard surface or grass?

[Guest Hooli]

Blowing around in the wind etc to rub on the paint? no thanks.

 

Plus I'm pretty sure that most cars (not french ones) are designed to get used outdoors.

[Bobthebeard]

I think they rub the paint a way when its windy. I think they can trap damp under them as well. Will the car be parked on a hard surface or grass?

On gravel. Well drained but a lot of trees nearby. Loads of leaves and tree detritus etc.

[Fat_Pirate]

I use a Halfords cover on my MX5 and it has 'polished' the paint in places, but the primary reason I use it is to keep water out of the interior/structure to prevent it disintegrating, and it's totally effective at that.

[Bobthebeard]

I have too many cars really. Storage being an issue.

[oldcars]

On gravel. Well drained but a lot of trees nearby. Loads of leaves and tree detritus etc.

I would leave it uncovered, just make sure the plenums are cleared from leaves as they like to flood and bugger up the ecu. How is the boot, no leaks?

Get a good wax on it before you park it up, something like Colinite 476s is good long lasting wax.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Car covers are the spawn of Satan. I suggest attacking your car with a pan scourer, rubbing some salt into the wounds and parking it up in Scotland for a couple of weeks. Not only will it save you the cost of a cover, it'll have exactly the same effect as one.

[Bobthebeard]

I would leave it uncovered, just make sure the plenums are cleared from leaves as they like to flood and bugger up the ecu. How is the boot, no leaks?

Plenums clear and no boot leaks, but would be worried leaving it over the winter.

[oldcars]

Plenums clear and no boot leaks, but would be worried leaving it over the winter.

I know what you mean, would be handy if it could be checked over a few times. Where about is the caravan? 

[Bobthebeard]

I know what you mean, would be handy if it could be checked over a few times. Where about is the caravan?

 

Dalbeattie. Dumfries and Galloway.

[SiC]

What are those carcoons like? I was considering one for the winter period.

[Uncle Jimmy]

What are those carcoons like? I was considering one for the winter period.

A bit dull and the view can get distorted.

[Uncle Jimmy]

I do have a car cover I bought off the bay for a fiver, I use it for collecting leaves and grass clippings to take to the dump. Their only use that I can see is keeping tree sap/bird poo off your Ferrari 250GTO in the summer months.

[oldcars]

Dalbeattie. Dumfries and Galloway.

Bit far from me, if it had been nearer i would have been happy to pop over and check it.

[Junkman]

Flog the caravan and replace it with a garage. And fell the trees.

May I also stress the fact that cars don't improve The Climate when they are parked up?

[Mally]

What are those carcoons like? I was considering one for the winter period.

 

Would keep all the rust in one place on the MG.

[Stanky]

Can you park the car in the leeward side of the caravan? So the caravan takes the brunt of the weather/sap/leaves/meteorites or is the parking space non-negotiable?

[Matt]

Where about is the caravan? 

 

A 9 minute drive from my house.  No really, it is.

 

Bob, your caravan park couldn't really be any closer so if you want to leave a key with me over the winter I could pop by and keep an eye on it, possibly insure it on the odd day when the weather is nicer to drive it around a bit to keep it limber.

[oldcars]

A 9 minute drive from my house.

Only been in your area once for a bike race in the late 90s. Some hotel boozer in Castle Douglas, cracking night out.

[Matt]

Only been in your area once for a bike race in the late 90s. Some hotel boozer in Castle Douglas, cracking night out.

 

Imperial hotel?

[purplebargeken]

I would leave it naked, with higher tyre pressures to reduce squaring off.

 

Some dehumidifier thingies in the cabin and the boot.

 

Either disconnect the battery or buy a solar powered charger and leave that plugged in (just noted Scotchland, solar charger may not function).

 

Handbrake not on.

 

Make sure coolant is up to spec

 

You can also get a petrol additive designed for cars that are laid up.

 

Remove carpet and so on in boot, just in case.

[oldcars]

Imperial hotel?

Quick google and that does seem familiar yes.

[purplebargeken]

Gut the caravan, give the innards to me to put in the Transit and fit the caravan (aka 'The Garavan') over the Rover.

[Guest Hooli]

Just a thought, if the car is going to live there for that long. What about insurance? will it matter that they think it's normally parked at your house if anything happens?

[danthecapriman]

I've used car covers a lot before. Cheap ones are shit and I wouldn't touch them.

I've got a really good quality, fitted one for the Mercury (it won't fit in any normal garage!) I use it over winter but always remove it when the weathers good or at least dry to stop condensation. All I use it for is to keep the worst of winters weather off the car i.e. The rain and snow! Never had issues with them rubbing paint.

 

Also have a big one on the Transit for the same reasons. Again no problems.

 

I can also recommend the little dehumidifier trays (the crystal filled jobbies). I use three of them in each car over winter and they work a treat!

Also, give the car a really good wash and wax/polish before parking it up just to give it an extra layer of protection from the wet.

[Split_Pin]

Unless you spend a fortune Car covers do more harm than good. When I put one over my Corsa last winter the inside of the windows were dripping with condensation and the interior was covered in mould spots.

 

I left it uncovered for the rest of the winter and the car was absolutely fine. Give it a really good polish and wax, make sure all drain holes are clear and as long as the car is watertight you shouldn't have any problems.

[SiC]

I've used car covers a lot before. Cheap ones are shit and I wouldn't touch them.

I've got a really good quality, fitted one for the Mercury (it won't fit in any normal garage!) I use it over winter but always remove it when the weathers good or at least dry to stop condensation. All I use it for is to keep the worst of winters weather off the car i.e. The rain and snow! Never had issues with them rubbing paint.

 

Also have a big one on the Transit for the same reasons. Again no problems.

 

I can also recommend the little dehumidifier trays (the crystal filled jobbies). I use three of them in each car over winter and they work a treat!

Also, give the car a really good wash and wax/polish before parking it up just to give it an extra layer of protection from the wet.

Any recommendations on cover brands?

[PiperCub]

Outside in the elements, don't bother - see above comments. Cheap ones worse than useless unless the paintwork is already fucked and you are using one to keep water out of a possibly leaky car - this was exactly the case with my old Eunos. Body rock solid but paint FUBAR so didn't matter, what did was keeping the inside dry until I fixed the hood. 

 

Cheap covers are useful inside a dry garage to keep dust etc from the paintwork and help stop scuffs from things/people passing by. Use a cheapo (£17 Amazon) 'Maypole' one for the GTi over the winter in the garage. Does a great job but would be hopeless outside or in a damp garage. 

 

For the MX5 which is at the back of a big car port, hemmed in on three sides, I use a very tight fitting fancy-nancy exterior cover from Hamilton (I think), it's waterproof and breathable but very soft inside and fits like a glove so it hardly moves if the wind happens to catch it. It does a superb job and I haven't seen any polishing-type issues with any part of the bodywork. I did use this cover outside in the elements for one winter before I built my car port, it did a sterling job but at about £150, it ought to. 

 

The trick is to clean the car immaculately & put a decent coat of polish on it before putting the cover on and keeping the cover perfectly clean. If you don't, you may as well wash the bloody thing with sandpaper and a brillo pad. I cringe when I see folk pulling off covers or winding then back so the inside wipes the dirty outside of the cover - WTF? You then pull the thing back over the car trapping all the shit between underneath next to the paintwork - What are you thinking? Nice move Einstein. 

[danthecapriman]

Any recommendations on cover brands?

I've used a few over the years, but kept going back to Classic Additions. They do fully custom made, a similar style but cheaper more generic sized range and a cheaper type too.

 

IMG_0227 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

This is the Mercury wearing its custom cover. It was too big to use any of the generic sizes!

The material is like a stretchy but well fitting and breathable fabric. Fit is very good and wind passes straight through it so it doesn't blow around or move much, plus any air flow keeps the car dry.

It's got elastic front and rear ends and two nylon belts/buckles in the middle to hold the cover down onto the car in high winds.

They're very good but not cheap.

No cover will ever be ideal though. A garage is always the best solution but it's not always possible. They are a good second best though, just try to take them off if it's a dry day to let any damp dry away. I wouldn't recommend leaving them fitted non stop for months on end.

 

https://www.classicadditions.com/en-GB/car-covers/prodcat_1052