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Old 09-25-2012, 06:58 AM   #1
Z4me

 
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Outdoor car covers and paint

Hi I recently bought my, well like 2 months ago.
I purchased a GM ZL1 car cover for winter time storage. But i'm thinking since my house does not have a garage, should I have an outdoor cover on it for the rest of the year?
My thoughts are it would keep it cooler, keep the car cleaner when its not in use. Keep the damaging sunlight off it.
Any thoughts or experiance on keeping an outdoor cover on the car and the affects it has with the paint (rain storms etc).
Any opinions on which car covers offer the safest and best protection from the elements and keeps the paint safe?

BTW I've learned alot here and I appreciate everyones feedback!
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Old 09-25-2012, 08:37 AM   #2
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To be honest, I would be wary. Unless you clean your car obsessively everytime before you put the cover on (ie detail spray every time before putting it on), it will scratch the dirt into the paint. Doesn't matter how "safe" the manufacturer tells you the cover is.
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:54 AM   #3
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At least for now I'm really trying to keep this car clean and do things the correct way. This is pretty much a week end joy ride car with the wife to car shows, and cuises. So was thinking of keeping a car cover on it during the week, when not in use.
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Old 09-25-2012, 11:05 AM   #4
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I have 2 cars that I switch monthly.
I thoroughly wash before covering.
I got a better grade fitted cover ($170+) for each.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o02_s00_i00

I got a cheap cover (Walmart - $30) to go over the better cover to keep the dirt and debris off and protect the better cover.
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Old 09-25-2012, 12:18 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z4me View Post
At least for now I'm really trying to keep this car clean and do things the correct way. This is pretty much a week end joy ride car with the wife to car shows, and cuises. So was thinking of keeping a car cover on it during the week, when not in use.
As long as you don't get lazy and detail spray the entire car before you put the cover I imagine you will be fine.
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Old 09-25-2012, 12:23 PM   #6
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As long you keep it clean before you put a cover on it then it's fine. But remember that over time on the corner's you will be getting some swirls and minor fine scratches on the paint. Remember to keep it protected will a LSP that will last and shine for your taste. Anymore more shots of your ZL1?
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Old 09-25-2012, 12:37 PM   #7
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I think another thing to be mindful of is sudden gusts of wind. At least when I used to use my car cover, a nice gust of wind would make the car cover start to sway around a bit, no matter how snug I had it on. Dust and other particles could possible find a nice home between the car cover and your car's paint.
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Old 09-25-2012, 09:24 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Angelo@Autopia View Post
As long you keep it clean before you put a cover on it then it's fine. But remember that over time on the corner's you will be getting some swirls and minor fine scratches on the paint. Remember to keep it protected will a LSP that will last and shine for your taste. Anymore more shots of your ZL1?

Hope this works first time trying to post pics. Wahoo my wife me and my parents who I took for a spin they both loved the car. My mom wants to trade in thier Honda for one.
She's a young 83!
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Last edited by Z4me; 09-27-2012 at 05:46 PM.
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Old 09-27-2012, 12:27 AM   #9
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Old 09-27-2012, 05:02 PM   #10
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I was actually wondering the same. I too am going to do this because i have no garage.
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Old 09-27-2012, 06:31 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iwantone2 View Post
I think another thing to be mindful of is sudden gusts of wind. At least when I used to use my car cover, a nice gust of wind would make the car cover start to sway around a bit, no matter how snug I had it on. Dust and other particles could possible find a nice home between the car cover and your car's paint.

Definitely. Dirt WILL get in and swirl the hell out of the paint when the wind blows. Unavoidable. You just have to decide between the lesser of two evils.

If you're putting a cover on and leaving it for a month or more, that's one thing. What you never want to do is get in the habit of covering and uncovering your car every day or two. That's bad news.

I'd probably go with the cover because it's a cinch to polish it all out. Last winter we had an ice storm, my car got completely coated and as the ice melted, the sheets slid down the hood and left deep scratches that I could only minimize, not remove. Nobody would ever see them, but I know they're there.
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Old 09-27-2012, 07:21 PM   #12
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One of the things I'm worried about during the driving season, is a hail storm that cause some real damage. During the winter, i'll be renting a storage unit and cover it for the duration.

When I ordered my GM ZL1 cover from Becky Rodgers a few weeks ago. We were talking about alot of differant things, of course one of the topices was winter storage of our cars. Since this was all new to me she was very receptive with good advice. One of the things she was thinking of getting was a kinda large zipper like cover which basically you drive over and zip up around the car and the cover thats already on the car. For indoor use this would help reduce dust futher and keep the rodents etc out. I think for the outdoor use this could take hail damage and high winds out of the equation. The real draw back would be if you plan on using the car on a regular basis such a s a daily driver. Whats your thought about this?
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Old 09-27-2012, 07:31 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z4me View Post
One of the things I'm worried about during the driving season, is a hail storm that cause some real damage. During the winter, i'll be renting a storage unit and cover it for the duration.

When I ordered my GM ZL1 cover from Becky Rodgers a few weeks ago. We were talking about alot of differant things, of course one of the topices was winter storage of our cars. Since this was all new to me she was very receptive with good advice. One of the things she was thinking of getting was a kinda large zipper like cover which basically you drive over and zip up around the car and the cover thats already on the car. For indoor use this would help reduce dust futher and keep the rodents etc out. I think for the outdoor use this could take hail damage and high winds out of the equation. The real draw back would be if you plan on using the car on a regular basis such a s a daily driver. Whats your thought about this?

http://www.carcapsule.com/


seriously..

I use one for my motorcycle as I can't get it and the cars in the garage..

they cost between $300 and $400 which is about $100-$150 more than you will pay for a GOOD cover, or probably what you paid for your GM ..

no need to wash the car first, will protect against rain, dust, dirt, hail, etc.


it even protected my motorcycle from a stray soccer ball. just bounced off the cover..
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