To cover or NOT to cover... That is the question!

[93 MR2 Turbo]

Hello All!

Long time reader/supporter, first time poster. I recently had my 93 MR2 Turbo fully restored with a nice, several thousand $ paint job. Color is single stage Jet Black.

My question is to cover or not to cover?

The car is kept in the garage 100% of the time, and is never driven unless the roads are bare dry.

However, I live at the coast, where it is VERY humid all the time! I currently live in a rental house with an UNINSULATED/UNHEATED garage. It is also a two car garage that I keep my brand new motorcycle and my daily driver Prelude.

The problem is... every time I open the garage to pull in and out with the Prelude, the garage door drips water all over the back of my MR2. I also pull in my wet Prelude after driving in the rain and I am worried that the water on the prelude is going to raise the humidity in the garage also causing damage to the MR2 and Bike.

Rust is a HUGE problem on the coast, and I would do anything to avoid it!

To give you an example: I went out to the garage to grab a hammer that was laying out on the work bench, and it had condensation all over it!

Sorry this thread is getting so long and detailed but please help!

Would covering the car potentially TRAP the moisture under the cover? Would it just be better to leave the covers off?

I currently have no cover for the MR2, and I have this cover for the Motorcycle

Thanks for your time!

[wannafbody]

Covering the car in a garage is a good idea as long as it's a good soft, breathable cover such as Technalon.

[Accumulator]

93 MR2 Turbo- Welcome to Autopia!

I suppose that responding with "you oughta move" would sound really crappy and that relocating isn't an option.

Be careful putting it on/taking it off, and make sure the car is spotless first and don't dress the tires/exterior trim as the ERV dressing will get on the cover and transfer to the paint.

I quit covering my seldom-driven toys but that humidity/garage door thing is a whole 'nother ballgame.

IME the "breathable" covers (scare-quotes intentional) don't breath all that well, but hey...gotta do what you gotta do.

If you have an electrical outlet in the garage I'd run a dehumidifier, which I find beneficial in garages anyhow.

[jdoria]

I've neever had luck with covers. They always seem to pick up debris when you are removing and installing. Just too cumbersome.


I had this when I lived in my last house:

http://www.carcapsule.com/

Cheap and effective.

[billium]

had a garage queen (red) that was driven a few thousand miles a year. Spent endless hours perfecting the paint and applying countless coats of Zaino (this was before the additive allowing mutliple coats per day). Multiple sets of stand mounted halogens, etc.

I bought a higher end "breathable" cover, elasticized around the bottom, thinking it would keep the dust from building up. Problem was, dust would still find its way under the cover and I'd marr the finish everytime a removed, replaced the cover.

Finally went with no cover and California Car Duster. Now have a black garage queen which shows much more than previous red car. Still stick with the same CCD followed by a QD swipe. Just let the very tips of the CCD sweep across the finish (don't lay the thing on the finish and swoosh around like a mop on the floor) - I'm happier with this set-up than with a cover.

Water on the cover combined with high humidity is going to be a bigger issue than no cover. It will keep the dampness against the finish and take much longer to dry. I have the same issue with garage door dripping on car hood, but a quick blot with a clean towel and wipe with QD is all it takes.

That being said, and depending on your level of OCD, a freshly painted black car may be near impossible to keep prisitine. It does get dusty between drivings/cleaning, a black car will either increase your tolerance for this or put you in a padded cell. Welcome to black and welcome to Autopia.

[fins&chrome]

Yes same here. I too live in a VERY humid area and have decided to go coverless.
My reasoning was : better a bit of dust on the finish than trapping the humidity and ending up with a rusty finish. In a garage you need all the ventilation you can get. So here’s what I’ve done to fight off that humidity:
1) run a dehumidifier 24/7 and program it so that the highest level is 50%
2) install a 52” ceiling fan
3) also run a powerful semi-commercial fan at floor level when it GETS VERY humid. This shoots under and around the lower parts of the car and wheel wells
4) since I live in a colder climate zone, I’ve installed a wall heater too
5) also helps to get the air circulation going inside the car too by leaving the windows slightly down