[GTVMk1]

I bought a car cover for the 1750 ('cause I don't have a garage ). It is made of a DuPont fabric called Tyvec which is supposedly 'breathable'.
After a couple of days of torrential rain I removed the cover only to find that the paint is now covered in thousands of micro pimples. Apparently this is caused by moisture getting into the paint surface and is PERMANENT.

I am really pissed about this - no warning on the packaging about leaving the cover on during rain.

Beware when you buy a car cover that you don't get one made from this DuPont crap.

Cheers,
Wazza.

 

[daveydog]

I had the same thing happen to me years ago when I didn't have a covered area to put my GTV, My neighbour was kind enough to let me use his small carport but the way it was situated let rain in at the front and left side of the car. I figured I'd be smart and cover the whole car with a blue nylon tarp and I held it down with twine and bricks to keep it blowing off.

Well, a few weeks later I was over there and pulled the tarp off and #@%*!!, I saw the same thing. Thousands of micro pimples in the paint, especially on the roof.

Now that my car is freshly painted I won't be doing that again.

Air circulation is so important to a vehicle that is not driven frequently. It also keeps the mildew away from the interior of the car which also happened to mine. I even found a small mushroom growing in the driver's side footwell!

 

[pancho]

As posted on another forum,

Here is a good guide of what is out there. I know VW use Stormshield covers as part of their offerings - I bought one from the US, works fantastically and I've never seen or had any issues with it despite having my car outside for almost a year.

Pelican Parts - Car Covers - Custom Cover Materials

 

[GTVMk1]

Hi Dave,

Do you know if this sort of thing can have an impact on corrosion?

Cheers,

 

[fangio8c]

Car covers basically trap moisture against the paint (no matter what material or price) and are not a suitable alternative to a garage (in most cases they cause more damage than they prevent... pimples, mildew, scratches, rust). Good against dust in an enclosed dry area? Sure. Water, humidity, and wind? NO WAY!

 

[Gubi]

Car covers basically trap moisture against the paint (no matter what material or price) and are not a suitable alternative to a garage (in most cases they cause more damage than they prevent... pimples, mildew, scratches, rust). Good against dust in an enclosed dry area? Sure. Water, humidity, and wind? NO WAY!

Only if you buy a crap cover. If you buy a good, custom-fit outdoor cover you won't have any problems. Such covers are not cheap, however.

I've kept both the TR7 and the Milano outdoors for long periods under Covercraft Noah covers. Moisture evaporates out when the rain stops, never had any problems with the paint or mildew growth, never had any scratches, never had it blow off.

 

[fangio8c]

Sweet! I'll have to give Covercraft Noah a try. I've spent $$$$$ on car covers from Griot's (etc) and still found mildew (on a previously spotless car... not my Alfa of course) after taking the expensive "breathable" cover off. Of course, I do live in one of, if not THE rainiest and foggiest parts of the continental US . Sometimes 30 raining days straight.

 

[Gubi]

Well, I'm not going to vouch for north of here, but I haven't had any problems in the winter around SF.

 

[eedneco]

I know this is all a question of opinion, but my experience with car covers (expensive covercraft ones about 20 years ago) is all poor. They don't stay on, they rub the dust around on your paint (there will always be dust / grit), they don't keep the car dry (when it rains), they don't let it dry (afterward), they freeze to the car (in appropriate conditions), they get stolen, they degrade from UV and start to rip, etc etc etc.
Just not useful. Either the car should be in a garage, or if you have to keep it outdoors, uncovered, IMHO. Your money's better spent on other things.
Neil

 

[nleland]

I'll add a thumbs up to the Noah cover. The downside to their breathability is that they can soak through in a heavy rain. But two years of street parking my M Coupe in SF and nary a swirl. Also, parking in China Basin for work, the added pain of messing with a locked cover made me one of the only people in our office to NOT have a break in. The biggest issue is how fanatical you need to be, the car needs to always be covered to keep it clean, it can be a bit much.