Outdoor Car Cover

[xraybloke]

Morning all

Well, I pick up my new baby tomorrow (yes, yes, I know...photos to follow...) and as I don't have the luxury of a garage I've been looking at car covers. There's a few threads on the subject, and I'm currently veering towards the Monsoon cover as it seems the most reasonable outdoor cover that is breathable and has a soft lining to protect the paintwork, but is still waterproof.

A quick tour of Fleabay, however, threw up this example of a 5-layer cover:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

Price difference is negligable (once you add import VAT and the Royal Mail £8 it's only about £20 cheaper) but it does look a very good cover. Downside I suppose is that it's not tailored, and if it it doesn't fit quite right I'm not going to start paying thirty odd quid to send it back to America just to get my money back.

Anybody any experience of these covers, or any other thoughts/ideas?

Cheers

Paul.

[bogie]

I always use specialised car covers ...perfectly tailored, Ive had them for the last 4 cars

www.carcoversuk.com

Ive had one for my vantage for 4 years and its still like new

[clorenzen]

I would not use a car cover. Unless the car is spotlessly clean the cover will rub the dirt against the paint and you will get scratches all over. However if you want to store the car for weeks between usage and you can keep up the discipline of cleaning (and drying) it everytime you put the cover over it makes sense. Modern cars are buildt to stay outside - even Astons.

[xraybloke]

clorenzen said:

I would not use a car cover. Unless the car is spotlessly clean the cover will rub the dirt against the paint and you will get scratches all over. However if you want to store the car for weeks between usage and you can keep up the discipline of cleaning (and drying) it everytime you put the cover over it makes sense. Modern cars are buildt to stay outside - even Astons.

I agree; it's something I would only use straight after the car has been washed. I used one on my Elise over the 6 years I had it (but unfortunately can't remember the make I got!) and never got any scratches, just by only using it once the car was spotless. It wouldn't be something I put on the car every night...

[Neil1300R]

Will someone buy the touchless one so we can all see if they are any good!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[bogie]

I dont use mine daily as im driving it too often

mostly for winter, or longer periods of non-use ...so wash the car, put cover on, leave it for 2 weeks whilst on hols etc

...the fitted covers from Specialised dont flap in the wind and are lined with some soft stuff ...bit different to a nylon generic cover that makes the car sweat and flaps continuously against it

[Murph7355]

They do still flap though bogie, impossible for them not to if they're outside. And even the soft stuff can trap dirt.

I have a car cover (an AM one), but I tend not to use it at all these days as you do get scratches (that are straight forward enough to polish out)...I just let it get dirty these days and clean properly as and when.

[marcelg]

I recently bought a Stormforce cover (same makes as monsoon), and it was not a good fit for the car. Was then offered a tailored version of the same cover (I thought the original was custom fit) for an extra £50 and decided to go with that.
Got the cover delivered and it was still not a good fit when the mirrors were folded (despite being told it had been designed with that in mind).
Ended up sending that one back and wondering whether to bother now...

[bogie]

marcelg said:

I recently bought a Stormforce cover (same makes as monsoon), and it was not a good fit for the car. Was then offered a tailored version of the same cover (I thought the original was custom fit) for an extra £50 and decided to go with that.
Got the cover delivered and it was still not a good fit when the mirrors were folded (despite being told it had been designed with that in mind).
Ended up sending that one back and wondering whether to bother now...

the specialised one I have had for 4 years fits well with the mirrors folded ...they do a range, I think the one I have is "tempest" so waterproof, non abrasive liner etc

http://www.specialisedcovers.com/car-covers/outdoo...

[xraybloke]

marcelg said:

I recently bought a Stormforce cover (same makes as monsoon), and it was not a good fit for the car. Was then offered a tailored version of the same cover (I thought the original was custom fit) for an extra £50 and decided to go with that.
Got the cover delivered and it was still not a good fit when the mirrors were folded (despite being told it had been designed with that in mind).
Ended up sending that one back and wondering whether to bother now...

That's my worry too - mine's got the powerfold mirrors so having mirror pockets each side possibly wouldn't be a good fit - would perhaps make the car look like a sad spaniel?

Do the Specialised ones fit ok with the mirrors folded?

[xraybloke]

bogie said:

the specialised one I have had for 4 years fits well with the mirrors folded

Ah thanks...should have read more thoroughly before posting it is very early in the morning...

[Vipers]

All I can add is that I had a very good cover some time ago, and the local cats loved it, they used to sit on it in the evenings, and sorted their claws out on it.

At a couple of points, the claws had managed to go through the cover and scratch the paintwork.

[marcelg]

Damn cats - I would have been in hiding waiting to ambush them
I often have cat paw prints on mine in the morning - cheeky little buggers

[bogie]

I bought the cover originally thanks to our cat...who used to love using my soft top as a hammock and sliding down the bonnet of the Vantage ! ...the cover did work - they are thick 3 layer things

as with most things you get what you pay for - have a look at the Specialised range, they are not cheap, but sell well 2nd hand...I have had them on 3 cars, and sold them after for 60% of RRP

[marcelg]

Yeah agree - I bought a second hand Lotus cover, and then resold for the same price about a year later.

[xraybloke]

Specialised it is then...thanks for the advice...

[xraybloke]

Wow - that looks amazing, fits like a glove; thanks for posting those.

I know what you mean about the Aston logo and on an indoor cover it would be great, but outdoors somebody will probably just nick it!

[LordBretSinclair]

My DB7 Vantage cover, with logo.

[amv8beauty]

if any one is interested i have an official aston martin cover, its unused willing to sell it if the price is right, its comes in the official aston bag

let me know

[IM NUTS2]

I purchased one from AMOC and is made by Specialised car covers, and off the top of my head it cost £219 and had the AMOC logo on the front, they wont put the Aston logo on for copyright reasons (so they say!) but i later found out they make the Genuine Aston covers for them with the logo.

One thing i did find ringing around the various cover company's is they came back with the same price's from their supplier!

Edited by IM NUTS2 on Tuesday 12th April 22:54