Car Cover Question

[AFRay007]

Hey everyone... I just got a 03 Boxster and would like some help from you guys. I am in Colorado and will have to store it outdoors and high winds and sand damage are always a big factor. I am not very sure in what to look for, I was told that certain car covers will damage the paint if they dont fit very well and that covers have a tendency to scratch the paint in general.

This is the car cover I am looking at right now: Covercraft Noah for a Porsche Boxster 97-04. They claim that the material is close to the softness of a dustcover and wont scratch and it still provides really good UV protection.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/COVERCRAFT-Noah-CAR-COVER-1997-2004-Porsche-Boxster_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50456QQitemZ806 5112955QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW [/URL]

If you guys could give me any advice or tips I'd really appreciate it.


Ray

[rodsnhawgs]

I've used California Car Covers for years on my hotrods. Good quality at a reasonable price w/ offerings that will suit several needs. Although I've not used one in an outdoor application, they could probably point you in a good direction.

[AUDIOGUY]

This year for Xmass I bought a friend of mine an Evolution 4 car cover for his 3 series from Auto Anything. It is an excellent value at 160.00! The Noah is a great cover as well. The nice thing about the cover from Auto Anything was that it was custom fit meaning cut to fit your particular model. My buddy claims that it fits perfectly and is so soft on the inside that it wont scratch the paint... also it has a very good level of water resistance while being breathable. Auto Anythings site had excellent comparisons of the features and benefits of the different covers. This may aid in your final decision!

http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/10A50166.aspx

Best of luck.

[larez2]

I have a California Car Cover for my Boxster. It's used mostly indoors, but I've used it outside a few times and it seemed to work fine - didn't cause any scratches, etc. I attached a few pictures of what it looks like.

The key thing is for your car to already be clean and also for the car cover to be clean. If your car is dirty, then any car cover is going to be more likely to scratch it.

If there is anyway you can get it a garage spot or covered parking, that would definitly be better. But if you have to do outdoors with a cover, I think custom fit would be best.

Good luck,
Larez2

[Ronzi]

The trick is not to cover the car dirty. If you do, it won't matter how soft the inner lining is, the grit will get into it an scratch the car anyway. Plus, you then have to take a shop vac to it to get the stuff out.
Are you a Cadet? I used to hear stories about the car dealers in Colo. Springs bringing out row after row of 'Vettes and muscle cars to deliver to the last year guys at the Academy.

[Wintermute]

Like Ronzi said, whatever you do don't cover your car dirty! Here's a tip. Get a California Car Duster with your cover and keep it nearby. Before you cover your car, use the duseter on all the painted surfaces. It will help a LOT. It will also keep your car looking much cleaner between washings it will get any loose dust and dirt off your car.

And while the covers with the soft inner lining are really nice, you have to keep them clean as they tend to trap dirt easily. I use a Covercraft Weathershield cover which has a soft and slick inner lining that isn't quite as gentle as say cotton, but it won't trap dirt and cause scratching that way. The drawback is I have to keep my car clean and waxed (which you should do anyway for any cover really).

Oh and AutoAnything.com is a GREAT place to get a cover. Best prices and free shipping!

[AFRay007]

Thanks for everyones help. I ended up going with a weathershield by covercraft from auto anything.

Im gonna plan on getting McGuire's speed detailer and getting all the painted surfaces before I put the cover on. Is there a difference between McGuire's and a California Car Duster? Also does anyone know about how these things hold up in the wind? Colorado Springs gets pretty windy and I was told not to use the lock b/c the wind will rattle it around and scratch the paint. Is there anything else I should do before I put the cover on?

Oh yeah, Ronzi, I am a cadet at the Air Force Academy. All the juniors just got their cadet loans for 30K. I had invested it for about 2 months but couldnt keep my eyes off a Boxster and finally got one. Prolly wasnt the smartest long term investment but I love the thing so far. About 10 years ago cadets still had a deal with Chevy where a bunch of us would buy a vette with the loan and pay in cash so we got got a good deal but a few people would resell them for higher prices and they finally broke it off. I dont think 30K can get a new vette anyways these days. But i know my sponsor graduated in 73 and his class had over 300 cadets getting vettes. It used to be a huge but ive only have seen 3 vettes in the parking lot this year.

[Wintermute]

I think the California dusters are better. I've used the alot and they work very well. The trick with them is the duster head is infused with parafin wax, which the dust sticks to. That's why they don't scratch. But they are really only good for light dust, like what you get after you've let the car sit for a few hours. Also don't just plop the whole thing on your car and swish it around. Just let the dusting part brush the surface by holding it about 1" off the car. Use a down and away motion so any dust that falls out goes onto the ground, not your car.

As for wind, it can be a big problem with covers as it can blow dust and dirt under the car and then flap the cover against your paint. The cover you bought comes with a tie-down string for just this purpose so you can cinch the bottom tightly. But if it's a particulaly windy day, it would be better to forget the cover.

Also, you should wash your cover often. It won't trap dirt much, but some will cling to it just from static electricity so it's a good idea to keep it clean.