Outdoor car covers

[andygo]

My 981 Cayman GTS lives outside and constantly attracts dust on the paintwork. I had thought about a car cover in the past but have been put off by the thought of putting a cover on a car that might not be 100% clean and grit fee.

However, just noticed this company: https://richbrook.co.uk/product/stormguard-tailore...

Anyone had any experience of them? Do they wreck your paintwork?

[andygo]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's what I do at the moment TBH - car is pristine and I'd like to keep it that way - it's only done 25,000 miles.

I use Bilt Hamber touchless foam as a starter, pressure wash it off, wash with a noodle type drying mitt with 2 bucket system, pressure washer to rinse and then large drying towel to finish.

Bilt Hamber pre wash gets most of the loose stuff off, proper large drying towel is brilliant to dry off, just place towel on panel a lift off, no need o move it to dry paintwork.

Being a lazy git, I'd like to avoid the effort though!

[anonymous-user]

andygo said:

My 981 Cayman GTS lives outside and constantly attracts dust on the paintwork. I had thought about a car cover in the past but have been put off by the thought of putting a cover on a car that might not be 100% clean and grit fee.

However, just noticed this company: https://richbrook.co.uk/product/stormguard-tailore...

Anyone had any experience of them? Do they wreck your paintwork?

Covers will mark the car to some degree unless you are putting the car away spotless - and dry in most cases. I stopped using mine about a month after I bought it.

[anonymous-user]

I haven’t used the Richbrook. I’ve used Specialised Covers Stormshield+ on two of my cars. These are waterproof breathable covers with a fleeced lining.

Despite what some may experience, in 5+ years of using mine the paintwork looks as good as the day I bought the cars. I don’t get my cars filthy, but I certainly don’t keep them ultra pristine either.

If the cover is breathable you don’t need to worry about putting it on a wet car. Most cars under a cover kept outdoors will attract dew overnight anyway, so often in the winter the car will be wet under the cover in the morning.

I think it’s key to get a cover that is tailored to your car and that can then be secured with straps. Mine don’t move on the car an inch even in a howling gale. I can well see that a hard backed loose fitting tarp flapping in a strong wind will mark paintwork, but a good cover isn’t that.

[julian987R]

andygo said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's what I do at the moment TBH - car is pristine and I'd like to keep it that way - it's only done 25,000 miles.

I use Bilt Hamber touchless foam as a starter, pressure wash it off, wash with a noodle type drying mitt with 2 bucket system, pressure washer to rinse and then large drying towel to finish.

Bilt Hamber pre wash gets most of the loose stuff off, proper large drying towel is brilliant to dry off, just place towel on panel a lift off, no need o move it to dry paintwork.

Being a lazy git, I'd like to avoid the effort though!

You could avoid a stage of touching the car there by using....
https://raceglaze.co.uk/shop/race-glaze-car-care-e...


(though check which one is suitable for the water in your region)

.... that will also avoid some extra effort

Edited by julian987R on Monday 8th August 19:39

[andygo]

I actually looked at that this afternoon but thought it’s one more thing to connect up.

[julian987R]

andygo said:

I actually looked at that this afternoon but thought it’s one more thing to connect up.

i think it will save you effort (and your paintwork more). Connect up, spray the car, walk away. You could do it with a mug of tea in your other hand if that helps?

[andygo]

I think you would still need to move the dirt. I think all that unit does is rinse with soft water that doesn’t leave water marks. Had a similar thing a few years ago that sprayed de ionised water. Worked really well apart from the fact it removed any wax etc from the paintwork .

[julian987R]

andygo said:

I think you would still need to move the dirt. I think all that unit does is rinse with soft water that doesn’t leave water marks. Had a similar thing a few years ago that sprayed de ionised water. Worked really well apart from the fact it removed any wax etc from the paintwork .

yep its just for the finish stage after

Snow foam
Rinse
shampoo/wash mitt
ceramic foam rinse
Ionised water

Therefore you only touch the car at the wash mitt stage..

[andygo]

julian987R said:

yep its just for the finish stage after

Snow foam
Rinse
shampoo/wash mitt
ceramic foam rinse
Ionised water

Therefore you only touch the car at the wash mitt stage..

In my wash routine I only place the double thickness drying towel onto the paintwork - It doesnt get dragged accross the paintwork at all, so no marring.

[Fnumber1user]

If you have to use a cover then buy one that is contactless/framed. Any cover that physically touches your car will cause damage, I've tried them all CA + SF included.

Carcoon or similar, or budget end Machine Mart do some framed variants. These are the way to go.

[julian987R]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It’s a nightmare in the winter as even though the car is relatively dry underneath, if it had been raining you now have a huge circus size tent of damp material to put somewhere … and if it’s not dried out by the time you return to need it again then putting it on is like the friction of fingers across a party balloon.

And if you return and it’s wet then what?

And if it’s been snowing and iced then it sticks to the paint work. I peeled my iced cover off my 944 and the whole bonnet of paint went with it!

Another time, even though it was securely fastened, in a blizzard that took down the whole country many years ago, the cover flew off and acted like a sail and the wind carried it down the road. It was quite a Mary Poppins moment, the amount of wind that is.

Edited by julian987R on Monday 8th August 23:31

[julian987R]

andygo said:

julian987R said:

yep its just for the finish stage after

Snow foam
Rinse
shampoo/wash mitt
ceramic foam rinse
Ionised water

Therefore you only touch the car at the wash mitt stage..

In my wash routine I only place the double thickness drying towel onto the paintwork - It doesnt get dragged accross the paintwork at all, so no marring.

Fair enough. Ok let’s find another efficiency. Loose the second bucket. Use the foam canon as your shampoo application and rinse the mitt under the jet wash each time. It flies debris out better than a shake in a bucket. Makes the shampoo far nor foamy and you are not left with half a bucket of unnecessary water left over.
The two bucket method is the biggest con in car detailing

5mins 40 secs in....

Edited by julian987R on Monday 8th August 23:31