Car Cover

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Ollivanders382

New member
Hi! I'm Lauren. I'm brand-new, not a car nerd, and quite terrified of posting on a forum out of my depth, so be nice!:)



I heard you all here are "car care fanatics" and I'm looking for a nice (and *reasonably* priced!) car cover for my 2002 VW Golf. Most unfortunately, it lives outside, so I want to protect it from at least *some* of the evil elements. I'm not looking for anything really hardcore, just something between my car and the rain and pollen we're prone to here in VA and something that's easy to get on and off (I'm a little person, so it has to be!) and I don't really want it to look too ghetto-fabulous either. Suggestions? Thanks!
 
Welcome Lauren! :wavey



I recommend calling the folks at CMA http://www.properautocare.com/

They were very helpful and made sure I got the cover I needed. I went for the NOAH cover myself, but I'm sure they could find you one to suit your needs at a more reasonable price.

You may also want to try searching for some info on covers, I haven't done so, but I'm sure there are threads here somewhere.
 
No problem. You'll find some good info by reading thru those threads. I've printed several of them, as I too am seeking a cover for an outdoor car.



I don't think you're going to find any good cover under $150. (For my mid-size car, most are closer to $250 and up.) I tried getting one of the $70 ones from an auto supply store, thinking maybe it would be "good enough." Took it home, executed the infamous "Autopia CD Scratch Test" (rubbing the inside of the cover fairly vigorously across a CD), and it scratched the dickens out of the CD. So back to the store it went. The only thing worse than exposing your car to the elements is using a car cover that scratches the paint.
 
Ollivanders382 - Welcome to Autopia. I'd caution you not to skimp TOO much on the cover. It's sorta a case of you get what you pay for. Buying from a good vendor is important (don't buy a Wally-world special).



Edit: Lynn beats me to the post again ;)
 
Thanks for the advice. The CD idea is a really good one, I would have never thought of that. I'll definitely try it when I procure my cover and before I put it on my car....



Do you think a VW dealership would be a good place to start looking?
 
I am *such* an idiot. That's a response to a completely different forum!!! Sorry, I'm not disregarding your advice at all!!! That's what I get for trying to do 3 things at once.



Thanks again!
 
Ollivanders382- While you've found this place, you might look around a bit regarding basic car care. There's a broad range between the local carwash and sorta obessive detailing so common here. Don't let the extreme stuff put you off. You can at least find out which products and actions should be avoided.

Feel free to ask questions...
 
Thanks to the advice of threads on Autopia -- and several detailed PMs from Accumulator -- I now have a car cover. Bought the Stormweave from California Car Cover. I was particularly interested in a car cover that would protect against hail, since I do not have a garage for the antique Jaguars. It arrived this week. Now, if I can just get the Jags out of the painting/upholstery shops, I'll give a report on my findings.
 
What you choose really depends on a couple key items. But for starters here's what I determined in a recent search for a cover for a Ranger truck:



Probably the lowest cost cover rated for outside use is an Evolution Product. However, this os not a woven fabric and does break down after a couple years if exposed daily to sun,leaving dust on the surface.



I was advised by someone in the auto upholstery business who's seen a lot more covers than I ever will that many of the custom fitted covers are a bear to get on and off besides they are more expensive.



However, I ended up ordering a custom fitted Wolfe cover which goes on and off quite easily from Dashmat.com for LESS than the universal cover. Slightly more than a hundred bucks delivered to the door in less than a week. It is fine for my needs...which is ocassional use. However, it is BULKY. If I had purchased the storage bag it would have never been used. This thing expanded to five times it's original size when I took it out of the box, sort of like a geenie.



Like everything there's all levels, quality and prices, but I'm quite satisfied with an intermediate level cover.
 
Welcome Lauren, I cannot help you with your question but you may also want to ask the same question on a VW forum such as the http://forums.vwvortex.com/ I expect there will be some who has had expeience with some covers. VWvortex is also a good source of information on VW and Audi cars (in case you did not know that).
 
When we filmed a segment on car covers for our TV show earlier this year, I was able to spend 2 days with a couple of research scientist from Kimberly Clark, who makes most of the good car cover material.



For 99% of us, it looks like the better materials for outdoor use are Evolution (4 layers thick, kinda bulky, but great at door ding protection), NOAH (slightly better than Evolution, but at 3 layers not as good at ding protecion and easier to store).



I went with Evolution on all my covers for the ding protection ability.



For indoor use, I'd suggest you throw away the flannel lined cotton - it absorbs humidity from the air, and the weave is so open it lets dust actually pass through. The new material is called Dustop, and traps 300% more dust particles than flannel lined cotton.



Got those for the garage, too.



Other than that, go custom fit over universal, and get the mirror pockets (a great way to hold the cover in place while you're putting it on). If you use the cover in public, get the cable and lock so no one steals the cover. Most importantly, use the cover!



With practice, you should be able to install the cover in less than 5 minutes, and remove it in 3 or so. I fold the sides to the center, and then roll from back to front. To install, just lay on the hood, roll to the rear, and then fold the sides down.



I prefer to unscrew the antenna rather than punch a hole in the cover. On the cover for my MINI Cooper S, there's a pocket for the antenna, although it looks kinda obscene sticking up like that.



I guess the car's happy to see me.
 
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