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Old 04-06-2015, 12:08 PM   #1
JTruck

 
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Exclamation So you want to buy a car cover? Read this first.

So you want to buy a car cover?

One of the many reoccurring trends here in the detailing forum is the idea of buying a car cover to protect the car's paint from swirls, UV rays, pollen, dust, bird droppings, etc.. While the concept of a car cover at face value may seem as though a solid fix for your problem, it may be actually creating you more troubles in the long run. This thread should hopefully help you determine whether a car cover is appropriate for your situation or if there is a better alternative.

To first discuss the downfalls of a car cover we must understand the concept of introducing swirls or other defects to the clear coat.

"Swirls" are the imperfections in the paint's clear coat caused by a mechanical type of contact. For example, dirt particles are streaked across the clear coat, scratching the clear coat in the process. Technically what appears to be swirls are not necessarily caused by a circular motion, if you look very closely, each individual scratch is straight.



Moving on, how does a car cover introduce scratches?

Taking the concept we just talked about, and applying it to the method of applying a car cover, it's very easy to understand that the car cover is doing the same exact thing. Placing a car cover on a car that has any amount of dust is going to inflict harm on the clear coat. Unless your car was freshly cleaned, placing a car cover on your car is not safe.

MYTH: Dirt sitting on the surface of a vehicle will harm the clear coat and "bake" in. FALSE! Dirt simply sitting on the surface of a vehicle will not cause harm unless disturbed. What will cause harm is moving that dirt around on the vehicle, IE: placing a car cover on. Use appropriate washing methods to safely remove this dirt when possible. NOTE: This only applies to dust/dirt! Bird droppings, sap or hardened water, can etch in the clear coat causing harm. Remove any and all of these safely with a waterless wash solution immediately to avoid harm. (For proper and safe washing techniques, see here: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307114)



Now, each person has their own reasons for needing car covers, and some are justified. See what situation applies to you below and the recommendations I suggest.

Situation #1
I don't have a covered area/garage to store my vehicle in. I do not want the weather elements causing harm to my vehicle, such as dust, pollen and UV rays. I daily drive this vehicle.

Recommendation: Do not buy a car cover. Unless you are willing to wash your vehicle before you are placing the cover on, then you are causing more harm to the vehicle than the elements will. Your best solution is to buy a sealant and wax and apply these to your clear coat. These will protect your clear coat from UV rays and also fight against etching. There are also products to apply to the exterior and interior plastics to protect them from UV rays. (See product recommendation guide here: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275418)

Situation #2
I don't have a covered area/garage to store my vehicle in. I do not want the weather elements causing harm to my vehicle, such as dust, pollen and UV rays. I do not daily drive this vehicle.

Recommendation: This is a good situation where a car cover may be appropriate, if applied correctly. If the camaro is your weekend driver, then a car cover will be appropriate only if you apply it immediately after washing the vehicle. Otherwise, do not use the car cover.

Situation #3
I have a garage, do not drive my camaro often but don't like dust to settle on it.

Recommendation: As discussed previously, dust settling on the car will not cause harm unless disturbed. I would not buy a car cover, instead buy a waterless wash product and use the appropriate Garry Dean wash method to quickly and safely remove some dust when you want to take the car out.

Situation #4
My camaro is my garage queen, it sits next to my Audi, Porsche, Ferrari and C7.

Recommendation: Install as much harm as possible to your vehicles so detailers have more business. (JK) As long as you wash the vehicle before applying the cover, you will be okay.

One major thing to note, car covers are typically very expensive (especially the ones that are higher end, $300+) and it is not uncommon for these to be taken by thieves if your vehicle is not in a garage. So be weary.

If you get anything from this guide, take this away at the very least: Car covers only help if applied correctly after a fresh wash. Installing a car cover with the lightest dust will inflict harm on the clear coat! Use a sealant and wax combo instead to protect against weather elements.

I may have missed a few things, feel free to suggest, comment, discuss below and I can modify.
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Old 04-06-2015, 06:47 PM   #2
seven
 
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It is amazing how until you really ACCEPT these facts that you can convince yourself it is still okay to use a car cover. I have continued to do this. I wash my car every Saturday afternoon then put in garage. Sunday morning I drive it 15 minutes to my parents house then put that car cover on very carefully. All the while convincing myself that it was just washed and that it is okay. (Ah hello drove it almost 10 miles) I think your very explicit post has finally sunk into my head. Thanks JTruck
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Old 04-06-2015, 07:51 PM   #3
ihaveacamaro
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Great post! Love the irony that at the time of writing, carcovers.com ad is on the bottom of this post.
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Old 04-06-2015, 08:13 PM   #4
menendez1293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ihaveacamaro View Post
Great post! Love the irony that at the time of writing, carcovers.com ad is on the bottom of this post.
Ad Block Plus would fix that real quick

On a more serious note, I used to use a Car Cover until I realized the damage that it was actually causing to my paint. Once I got in the whole detailing thing, the cover quickly found a new place in the garage (Rolled up in a bag in the corner).
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Old 04-06-2015, 08:24 PM   #5
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The only car cover mistakes really are (1) not getting the right cover (which means spending three or for hundred, at least), and (2) not using it correctly. With countless cars and 30 plus years of car cover use, I've never had any problems. No, I would not use it on a daily driver.
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