Daily use of a car cover??

eggroll · 08-12-04, 10:27

One of my friends is going to get a custom paintjob and asked me what i suggested to protect the paint. He also wanted to get a custom car cover, this car will be stored outside in AZ sun and i believe will be his daily driver.

I advised against the car cover because he would have to put the cover on a dirty car everyday and marr it little by little. I told him he would have to wash, dust or QD before putting on the cover which i know he won't do.

Did i do the right thing? I told him to just put some sealant on it and it should be ok. What processes do you that have car covers do?

Bill D · 08-12-04, 10:33

IMO,

During good weather if he gets into a regimen of meticulously qding and then dusting before putting the cover on *everytime* he should be fine. Once he get the hang of this he'll be surprised how quickly it will go by. If he's caught in bad weather and it doesn't let up in time then probably best to leave it uncovered, if the weather does let up, then I don;t see the harm a little wash with qew and the optional following with qd can do before re-covering it.

Covers are a godsend in intense sun and heat

NorthPac · 08-12-04, 12:41

I would not put a sealer or wax on a freshly painted car until the paint is fully cured. It would not hurt the paint if its out in the sun for a few days, it would be better for it. A lot of people buy a metal car cover to put on there driveway.
They do make high quality car covers that does not scratch but even though you would still have to dust the car off.
Zaino Bros' makes exterior sealer/wax 100% uv protection

My truck Ford Ranger 4x4 is parked under a tree, the nuts fall on it, and a little sap, bird crap but I clean it off asap, Hey its a truck but still I like it looking good and protected /w a good sealer, Yesterday went 300 miles in Sacramento valley the windshield was full of bugs I mean big bugs plus a rock hit my window now I need a new one

Pacific Detailing

Bill D · 08-12-04, 12:52

Yikes, sorry to hear that.

eggroll · 08-12-04, 01:15

Thanks for the replies. I'll use VM then seal it for him the next month.

So I'll tell him to put a car cover on when he's gonna park it for long periods of time in front of his house. The rest of the time it can be uncovered?

It's just his current car is neglected and rarely washed. I know however that he will be trying to take care of this new paint. I just don't know how much time he wants to put into it.

Bill D · 08-12-04, 01:17

I've had nothing but good results when covering a car consistently every day. I alwys made sure the paint is absolutely dirt or dust free first.

hirosh · 08-12-04, 05:17

as long as the car is clean and free of dirt/dust, he can put the car cover on. well, just make sure he doesn't get carried away like in that old Honda commercial where the guy puts his car cover on even though he is picking up his date.

but i think the benefit of a car cover outweighs the "scare" of scratching the paint. a good car cover, like the weathershield from covercraft, is another layer of UV protection, keeps dust and other crap off the paint, keeps the car dry from passing showers - you know when it rains for a few minutes, and can keep the interior cooler, which is especially beneficial for leather. as for scratching the paint, it can happen, but these scratches can be removed with a PC and a good polish.

without a car cover, it *may* mean more time spent cleaning the car. i guess it all depends on what you or your friend want to do.

just teach your friend the proper way to clean his car, and since he's getting a custom paintjob, that might be a good incentive for him to learn.

Bill D · 08-12-04, 06:20

I couldn't agree more!

Setec Astronomy · 08-12-04, 06:34

My gripe with covers when I used to keep one all the time on my old Buick that sat in the driveway (

Bill D), was that the pollen and dust used to get forced through the weave of the cover, so I would take it off after a few months and the car would be covered with fine dust in the pattern of the cover, which was glued to the surface of the car. Kinda defeated the purpose. The cover was a Kimberly-Clark Evolution, but that was a long time ago, maybe the new Evolution fabric or others are better.

I have covers for all my cars...I just rarely use them.

Bill D · 08-12-04, 06:38

I bet they are and when I have to use a cover I use 2

A Noah and a Weathershield

CarWeenie · 08-12-04, 07:08

My $0.02...

I use custom weathershield car cover on my car.
I put the cover on even when the car
is a little bit dusty. I am sure I am getting marring from
the cover. However, I think the benefits outweigh the
negatives.
First, I am not a terribly good at washing or QDing my car
(unlike Mr Accumulator - our residential car wash guru here

). Without the car cover, I am constantly washing
and QDing my car and thus introducing a lot of swirls in
the process.
Also, where I live, in the winter/spring, we often get brief
showers followed by bright sun. Those wonderful bead
of waters instantly turned into pollen-ingrained water spots.
Horrible!
Lastly, I have black leather interior. It is an inferno inside the
car without the car cover.

forrest · 08-12-04, 07:09

I use a cover daily - a few minutes with a QD and a CCD are worth it to protect from the garbage in the air and inconsiderate door-dingers.

If the car's truly dirty, or filthy wet, I skip the cover, but the great majority of the time they get covered.