Newbie here..

[Dave_M]

Well, sort of

With great thanks to members of WWM TVRCC, I now have a 350i which is running very well.

I will need to get some form of car cover. I have a couple of standard ones which are OK, but I was wondering what people consider to be the best ideas.

I'd like to know more about the 'part' covers and full ones please.

Thanks in anticipation.

Dave

[blaineuk]

might be worth having a word with crispian, he can get hold of some at a decent price, oh and welcome to wedge dom.

[combine]

Dave ! Thats a bit greedy ! Still got the other toys I presume . Well done for buying a wedge , likely to be the most fun of the three ! Looking forward to seeing the wedge at the next northants meet .

[pwd95]

Hi Dave, welcome. I have a lightweight top cover from Hamilton Classics. It's a very effective breathable cover which fitted my old Wedge like a glove. Kept the car bone dry inside. I even used to keep the windows open a inch to vent the interior.

[carob]

Welcome to the mad house Dave.

Rob

[Waynester]

Good to have a new wedgehead - welcome.

Do you mean outside covers? I can't help much on indoor ones as i have a lovely blue silk one that i have had for years..... can't for the life of me remember where i got it, but i will never part with it. Many a toy it has covered.

I recently bought an outside cover from Argos. Plenty big enough to cover my old 400 down to the sills both sides. I looked in Halfrauds and they wanted a small fortune for similar. Think i paid £20ish for the Argos one.
It's elasticated and has a soft inner covering. Kept the car dry even through the recent monsoon like weather!

[GRIFFONMARK]

I bought an RAC cover off ebay which was ideal, medium size fitted nicely with elasticated front and rear, vents, durable outer surface and nice soft inner lining. Cost about £20. I'd post a pic but no idea how.

Regards

Mark

[grahamw48]

I've got one from Argos too...a waterproof outside jobbie, only 39 quid about 4 years ago. I just use it in 'emergencies' and indoors now, but it does the job without scratching the paint.

[Dave_M]

Thank you for all the welcomes

Blaine, your hard work with the car paid off, thank you. I'll give Crispian a shout.

Combine, my wife said I shouldn't really have 2 Tivs, so I simply had to obey I assumed she meant get another

pwd95, that looks a good idea for a half cover, looks like one for the Christmas list.

Wayne, Mark, Graham many thanks. Sounds like the cheap ones will do the job.

I was surprised how quick she is, it felt great especially with the rare sun we had this weekend.

Dave

[Comadis]

have made only neg. expieriences with complete car covers and outdoor storage:

several cars (TVR and lotus) have suffered from the following:

car was, shortly stored (4 days), outside with a car cover. some humidity came between cover and car (nothing unusual, i guess), afterwards sun was shining. lifting the cover a few hours later the paintwork was damaged in the former humid areas, which means the paint was faded or even changed to transparent (!!!) and you could see the fibreglass structre. longtime storage under such a cover can also lift the clear coat.

i often wonder how people do buy such cars without having the slightest basic requirements to store AND maintain these cars. i would never ever came to the idea to store such a car outside longer than a few days!!!

[Dave_M]

I'm not quite sure if you meant that post quite how it came over

I do have the reource to maintain the cars and I have 2 in dehunidifed garages. I just don't have gararge space as yet for this one so a car cover will have to do.

I've never heard of paint becoming transparent before, was that a one-off or does it happen a lot? I am concerned about the potential to mark the paint work with covers though, which was part of my reason for posting (e.g. if some makes/types are perceived to damage them, then I can avoid those).

[grahamw48]

Of course my car is garaged at all times, except for the odd 'emergency' few hours, when I'll fling the cover over...mainly to keep out the sun though.

It seems that most of us are just not worthy of our cars though, if the above snide remarks are anything to go by.

My god, I'm off to inspect my re-furbed chassis and replacement outriggers, new brakes, re-built engine, new clutch and adjustable suspenders....just in case I missed something through sheer NEGLECT !

[jeff m]

Dave_M said:

I'm not quite sure if you meant that post quite how it came over

He is from Germany. Translation; don't use a non breathable cover in a hot climate. Maybe

[jmorgan]

Quandary on my first one. I did not have a garage so it lived outside. I did buy a cover but then I heard about the flapping wear on paint work so didn't use it. So it was bare neked all the while I was not using it.

Seeing as the 400 doesn't leak I haven't bothered with this one either. Sort of figure that it will be OK without it.



And how do you have a dehumidified garage? Or rather what is required to achieve such?

[Dave_M]

Hi, I've got the use of 2 garages and have portable dehumidifiers for them. TBH, the first year I did it I left them on a lot. Now, I tend to turn them on for a couple of days every now and then, but if the wether's dry open a window, or partially open the door for ventilation.

I do worry about movement in a cover that could cause small marks and perhaps 'fletten' the finish. A friend has a cotton sheet over his car and then the cover over that, so that could be a safe solution.

[red tasmin]

Let it breathe! a good air circulation around a car is much better than leaving it in a damp garage! Cover on or not doesn't really matter if car doesn't leak, though does protect it from sunlight.

[DerbyCountyMark]

I've one of the cheapie covers which I have used on both my current wedge and previously on a Jensen Healey. In each case it has been used only temporarily during the use of the garage for some DIY job or another, but neither has suffered from any transparent or fading paint. The only criticism I would have is that the elasticated corners aren't strong enough to hold the cover without some assistance in a brisk wind.

Oh, and welcome!

[WILDROVER42]

Used to have an S3c & kept it outside all year round in all weathers - and I live by the sea!
It did the car no harm at all.
It never let me down, didnt rust any more than they usually do and the paint work was fine!
Dont mollycoddle (?) the car - treat it like the manly car it is!!!

[Waynester]

It wasn't so much the car getting wet that concerned me but the bird poop & tree sap.

I always covered the car with a cotton bed sheet then the waterproof cover.
I would then rope it fore & aft. Never suffered with covers wearing the paint by flapping, and the car never suffered with humidity probs.

I had peace of mind then when i looked out on a cac day!

I have a garage now, which is dry and not damp.
My wife thinks it hilarious that i still cover it even in the garage. I still have a blue silk indoor cover which keeps the dust off.
But hey, my car, my choice. Keeps me happy.

Do what you feel is right for your car, ignore the naysayers.

Edited by Waynester on Friday 26th September 18:03

[WILDROVER42]

To be fair, I did check it daily for evidence of seagull poop but other than that it was fine. Leaving it outdoors was more a matter of necessity than choice.