I have a 1987 Ford LtD Country Squire and 1993 Roadmaster Estate wagon (in immaculate condition) that now need to be parked outdoors. Who makes good fitted (UV protection, breathable, etc.) covers that are not outrageously expensive?
I have found car covers do about as much harm as good. Keep it washed and waxed and it will be fine. Harbor Freight has some pretty reasonably priced tent - type garages. That might be worth looking into.
I was gonna say that the best was a garage. Kick out the Rolls Royce... The Roadie is worth it, after the LTD, of course. I'll bet that one of those Army surplus places would have some of those, way better, for a lot less. Those HumVees had to be covered up somehow, in Iraq. We have a lot of snow and wind, and the commercial ones do a decent job, but the sun's intensity still gets through. He'd probably have fading over time, where the supports shade out the sun. A Zebra Roadie. The GSA usually lists the auctions, by State too! http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100000 This is the Consumer Auction site: http://www.govsales.gov/html/index.htm If all else fails, go to a farm supply shop, and look at the steel sheds, some have translucent panels that you can insert and still have light come in, but not the UV rays that fade the paint. http://vicwest.com/agri-commercial Check out the lighting panels. http://vicwest.com/residential/products/backyard-solutions Most farm communities have a local dealer in the US and Canada, for all kinds of these types of buildings - this one is Canadian, but I saw others, when driving through, down to Mexico and across to Montana.
I just remembered something. Depends on your neighbourhood and building codes, but I live in a low income area, where Necessity is the Mother of Invention. What he did, didn't require any permits. He used those prefab concrete post bases (every 6 feet apart) for the posts. Came out nice too! I was walking along a sidestreet the other day, and a guy built an open carport/patio extension from the side of the house with 2 X 6s about 14 feet long and simple angled shed roof covered with shingles, on 6 pieces of 4" X 4" X 12 foot (sunk 4 feet for our frost line). So it's 8 feet down the open side. Drop a couple large tarps for about $50 each. Probably less than a quality cover that could rip and rot, or a complete building - AKA under $500? One weekend, two guys, BBQ and 4 12 packs! Fun under the Sun!
X3! Car covers outdoors are a BAD idea. Even the best ones will still flap around in the wind and wear off the paint on every body line and edge. Just put a GOOD wax on it and keep it clean and the paint will be just fine. To protect the interior you could put some sun shields in the windows or cover the seats with blankets and put something over the top of the dash.
Pros and cons... So... if I'm reading this right the problem with using car covers outdoors is they damage the paint? This might actually be good news for me, as the (original) paint on my wagon isn't that great anyway and just needs to keep out the elements until the repaint (which means until I own a garage, could be a while...). I did find however that the interior was pretty damp after some torrential rains last week so I really need to help my Buick out with that.
The Car cover will create an excellent interior environment for mildew or even mold. A buddy, up here (Humidity runs from 33% to 100%) got one for his Jaguar, and dropped over $8,000 for new leather, foam and carpet (with underpad), including the trunk. You'd almost have to keep a small fan inside, with a window just cracked open, to help keep it safe. Or use it for a greenhouse.
That's a real bummer... How long did he leave it under the cover? And modern cover materials are breathable fabrics. Not a perfect solution, but it'll help against the 'greenhouse effect'? Yep, I sure need to find that leak. Or those leaks... Just found out about it/them last week with those ridiculous almost tropical showers. Never noticed the dampness before. I'm off work for the next two weeks so hope to assess and fix that soon.
I like the damp rid idea, Tedy. Never thought of that one. How about the softener smell....how long did it take to get that out of the interior? I have used them but try to avoid putting them inside the car. If I CAN without the smell lingering forever I will.
The first day was a bit of......"the smell of a old lady wearing too much cheap purfume", but after a couple days of leaving the windows open it was gone.
Oh, ok, that is a very long time! I plan to use a cover just between drives, I drive my Buick weekly at the least. The cover is just to keep the rain off it during the in-between time. For the winter I plan to look for an air-conditioned storage space and just leave it there as-is, wiping off the dust come spring/summer. And I'm definitely putting in one or two of those moisture catchers! Put one of those in my basement, but somehow couldn't figure to put one in a car
