Lets talk car covers

I need a cover for when the car is stored in a garage. It sits for weeks and gets dirty

 

What are people use and what works? I know Subaru makes on but is it any good?

Don't do it, you will regret it.

I have a Subaru car cover for my wagon. The only reason I have it is because it came with the car (I guess Wuki bought it). It fits well. The bottom part of the rear bumper is pretty tight but it covers it. It looks cool too because it says legacy on the front and has a clear cover where the rear license plate is.

I too have one for my wagon. I won it at the MAIC HR Perry meet last year. I used it when I still had my 98 RS. But, Now that I got rid of that, It's more of a pain to wait until it cools off to put it on and take off over and over again.

 

Might be up for sale soon then.

Just make sure you don't get a cheap one. Those can do more damage than protection. Cheap ones often just filter the dirt and deposit tons of fine dust on the car. Since there isn't any wind under there to blow it off, it just stays there and rubs between the paint and the cover causing fabulous rashes that have to be polished out. Cheap ones don't breathe well either and it gets pretty 'sweaty' underneath them. That is just wonderful when it starts to sweat on all that fine dust that is sitting on your car. You pull off the cover and you have rash marks, waterspots, and mud all over the place. You would have been better to have nothing at all.

 

The nice ones breathe, are padded to help protect against door dings, and don't filter dirt through. It might put you back upwards of $200, but considering the value of the car it is covering, I think an investment like that is worth it. Spend $99 at PepBoys for a generic car cover and it is going to cost you $180 worth of polishing to fix the damage and then another $200 for a better cover. If that sounds acceptable, then imagine what kind of cover you could get for $480.

Link to a "good" one?

Try this

 

http://216.60.144.111/ecatcust/getx.asp?custid=9354&nextkey=c&year=2005&make=Subaru&model=Legacy

I use a car cover for a buick lasabre. strange how well it fits.

Link to a "good" one?

 

 

Noah car covers are pretty darn good. You can get better, but it really depends on what you are going to use it for. If you car is going to be covered two weeks at a time in the airport parking lot in Houston, then this wouldn't be the best. However, if it is just going to protect your car from dust and dings in the parking lot at work, then it is perfect. If you have extreme conditions that you need protection from, then there are definitely other options. The important thing is that they aren't just glorified bedsheets with 'LEGACY' spray painted on them. These are good quality covers.

glorified bedsheets with 'LEGACY' spray painted on them.

 

:lol:

 

I think thats what I have. I don't really use it though....

 

honestly I should sell it.

I had a customer get one of those for his Suburban that I polished up and he was going to park it on the side of his house for a few months before he sold it. I was there when he finally took the tattered cover off six months later and charged him $200 to repair the damage it caused. There are definitely specific covers for long term storage versus temporary intermitent covering. Just make sure you are getting the right cover for your need.

So which are which?

 

I am thinking about getting a cover for a car that would be stored in winter for few weeks at a time. Any recommendations?

I'm not much of a car cover guy. I use them for my bikes because I don't like burning my ass or my hands when it has been parked outside all day, but for my cars I've just resigned myself to the fact that it is going to get dirty no matter what. I had one on my Mustang when I was traveling a lot and it sat at the airport for a week at a time, but I don't remember the brand. All I can suggest is that you read the descriptions of the different types on that page at DetailCity.com and see which one will work best for you. My expertise is more in repairing the damage caused by one rather than picking one that is safe. lol

Yeah, I am just looking at them... tons of different fabrics...

 

Can you tell us what type of damage the covers could cause? Scratching would be obvious one if one does not put/remove it carefully, or if it's flapping in the wind. Moisture accumulation would be other issue... what else?

Those are pretty much the main ones. The material itself usually doesn't hurt the paint, but when it is rubbing dirt and leaves that get blown up under the cover, or if the cords around the bottom could cause issues down there, but the main problems are going to be moisture and dust. You would be surprised how quick you can start to grow mold on your car if you have a crappy car cover. Get it warm enough in there with some sweat and when you take it off after a few days you will definitely not like what you see. Try getting mold stains off of paint...

Sounds like rob was right

 

Don't do it, you will regret it.

Sounds like rob was right

 

You say that like you are surprised

 

check out Weathershield fromCovercraft.

 

http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/60A1007A0A0A2623839.aspx

 

I had one made for my Blazer which sat outside for all of spring and most of summer. I washed it rigght before I covered it, after 6 months I pulled the cover bak and it looked as clean as the day I parked it. I tossed the cover in the washing machine and it also looked like new. It fit the car like a glove.

Covercraft car cover. Your looking at 200.00+ but they are the best. You'll like it alot. They breath like nothing is on the car and the layer that touches the paint is very soft. Machine washable and the whole nine. I would use my cover on past cars and the cover would be dry along with the car before the sidewalk was dry.