Car Cover Reccomendations?

[Heather]

Alright.

I looked into storing Handsome, my '79 LTD... and that's just gonna be too expensive to do with my other bills.

So, I'm turning to a car cover.

I can probably afford to spend $50-$80 on a cover.

I need one that can stand up to Michigan snow and freezing rain. I don't want any of that to sit on my baby. I want to prevent rust.

What covers do you guys recommend?

I called my local AutoZone and the guy wasn't too knowledgeable.

He said that they had a $60 one and an $80 one that "looked pretty good."

He said he uses one that he sprays tent waterproofing on? Is that safe for the paint? Can that absorb through the cover and corrode paint?

I'm nervous about using a car cover, because what if condensation gets on the paint and sits for a little while everyday? Will that rust the car?

I'm like a mom with a new baby here, and I just want my Handsome to make it through winter and come out looking like he does now.

Suggestions?

[1987cp]

I'd probably just wax it multiple times and keep the salt off the undercarriage so far as is possible. Seems like "real" car covers tend to cost actual money ...

Still, be interesting to hear what you figure out.

[LTD86]

I'd probably just wax it multiple times and keep the salt off the undercarriage so far as is possible.

+1 If it were me I would just apply a few coats of a good wax to it and keep it out of the salt. Car covers used outdoors seem to create more problems than they protect against. Wind can cause them to whip around and scratch the paint, and some trap water under them which will eventually mark the paint.

[Brown_Muscle]

i bought a car cover from autozone, it sucked, said it was water proof, definitely wasnt...the tent waterproofer is a good idea, once it dried it would stay on the cover and would not harm the paint as far as i know....the cover seemed to wear the wax down on the car and left microscratches.... I guess its a toss up between two evils, if you think it would be better off with the cheap car cover and the water repellant then use that, other wise, as they said wax it

And im not saying the cover was all bad, it certainly kept the car clean and the sun off it.

[trwp72]

You want a car cover that "breathes" another words, will let moisture escape if it builds up under the car cover, which it will from condensation... They do make some that are "water repellent" that will keep most of the water off the car, and allow it to breathe. Another plus is that it will keep the interior from fading due to sunlight, which can even happen in the winter, as "Brown Muscle" said.

[johnunit]

if you're worried about wearing the paint on edges/corners, you can consider putting some sort of foam strip down where there is tension or movement between the cover and the body. I've seen it done on a few collector cars.

[cld783]

walmart has car covers for $20-25...

I also had a friend of mine shrink-wrap his car like a boat one year and seemed to work pretty good..

[86GmLsCoupe]

Covercraft makes nice car covers at different price points so thats another option for you.

[chitownvic]

You can always get one of these.....http://www.carcapsule.com/

[Brown_Muscle]

car bubble! how are they " radio frequency welded" haha

[chitownvic]

car bubble! how are they " radio frequency welded" haha

LOL...LMAO

[Nathan in MI]

car bubble! how are they " radio frequency welded" haha

What that means is that they use RF radiation to generate heat in the plastic, which melts it, making a plastic "weld". RF heating is very common in a lot of industries, because it's a good way to induce heat in something quickly. Any kind of plastic seams like that, heat treating of metal, I've even seen it used in the furniture industry to make glue dry more quickly (using a special type of glue that's made for use with RF), and countless other applications.

[Brown_Muscle]

gotcha, i think i saw something simular to that on the history channel...but it was used for a heat gun haha...and strapped to a hummer...

[Smokestacklightnin]

I would avoid car covers.

[87DeuceVic]

California car cover is where I was going to get mine. They have one that is a little outta your range at about $160 but it is meant to stand up to snow, ice, animal droppings and more and you can get them custom fitted (yes they have the box crown vic, even a 2-door version). I just let my 87 sit out for the winter, just keep the snow brushed off of it and it will be fine; its the salt that makes them rust.