Using a car cover

[Qwimby1]

Looks like I'll have to have my black FRS sitting outside in hot, humid Florida for a while. Covers scare me but there may be no other option. Looks like Covercraft Sunbrella at $500 with dust cover is the best, but I dunno.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Qwimby1

Looks like I'll have to have my black FRS sitting outside in hot, humid Florida for a while. Covers scare me but there may be no other option. Looks like Covercraft Sunbrella at $500 with dust cover is the best, but I dunno.

Well, I'm not a fan of car covers......unless your car is going to be where it's going to rain bird poop.

If it were mine, I'd just put a good coat of wax on it and call it good.




humfrz

[OfficeWorker]

How long is it going to be parked for and unattended? (i.e., will the duration of it being parked be longer than the duration of a standard wax's staying period?) Would you potentially have time to apply either a sealant or a coating to the paint beforehand? (and compound the paint, if necessary before-beforehand)

edit-Some guys I know have told me that they not only wash the car before putting the cover on it, but that they also place a sheet over top of the car before putting the cover on to further reduce the chance of superficial damage.

[Qwimby1]

Originally Posted by OfficeWorker

How long is it going to be parked for and unattended? (i.e., will the duration of it being parked be longer than the duration of a standard wax's staying period?) Would you potentially have time to apply either a sealant or a coating to the paint beforehand? (and compound the paint, if necessary before-beforehand)

edit-Some guys I know have told me that they not only wash the car before putting the cover on it, but that they also place a sheet over top of the car before putting the cover on to further reduce the chance of superficial damage.

It would be uncovered maybe once a week. Covercraft tells me the Sunbrella is the best, but should have the dust cover as well. Total about $400. I'm concerned that getting just a little dirt on the cover could scratch the paint on a black car.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Qwimby1

It would be uncovered maybe once a week. Covercraft tells me the Sunbrella is the best, but should have the dust cover as well. Total about $400. I'm concerned that getting just a little dirt on the cover could scratch the paint on a black car.

I feel you are waaay overthinking this whole "protect my car from the elements" thing ......


humfrz

Yep, put a cover on it, let the sand get blown up between the cover and the paint, let the wind blow the cover around and grind in the sand and then once a week, drag the gritty cover off of the car.

(this part is "jest ah messen wich ya" ........ or is it .......)

[new2subaru]

OP I store my car all winter in a very dusty/dirty inside location. I wouldn't put a car cover on it because they dust/dirt WILL get between the cover and the clear coat. On a windy day you may as well take sand paper to it...I simply hose most of it off prior to washing the car.

Covers will do more harm than good.

[OfficeWorker]

Originally Posted by Qwimby1

It would be uncovered maybe once a week. Covercraft tells me the Sunbrella is the best, but should have the dust cover as well. Total about $400. I'm concerned that getting just a little dirt on the cover could scratch the paint on a black car.

If you are going to be covering and uncovering once a week, in my personal opinion a cover might not be the best way to go.

Something like 303 Aerospace Protectant on interior/exterior plastic/vinyl/rubber, a leather protectant, and a decent periodic wax/sealant/coating on the paint could be a viable option that costs less, has lower risk, and may actually wind up being less effort.

[Tcoat]

So, you are going to race it and need a harness restraint but are worried about leaving it the open the rest of the time? I would think that being uncovered will be the least of your worries as far as the finish goes.
As said just wax it with a good wax every once in a while.

[OfficeWorker]

A potential intermediate between a coating and a wax could be a synthetic like McKee's 37 High Def Paint Sealant or Wolfgang's Deep Gloss Sealant 3.0? If you are really strapped for time and/or you just don't want to deal with removing existing layers of wax before working in one of the above sealants, one option I just recently started playing with is McKee's 37 Trademark Extender Spray Wax (which is actually not a wax at all), and while I can't say how well it protects against sun yet, its staying power in terms of resisting road salt is extremely impressive. You can apply in direct sunlight to a smoking hot car without streaking - which is probably going to be a major plus for you FL fellas with dark cars...

[sodjer]

Like others have said, removing it so often and storing outside would be like wrapping your car in sand paper. Unless you like swirl marks I'd stay away from them. Plus for probably about the same money you could go get it ceramic coated. Or for a little more get the 7 year ceramic coating such as Opticoat Pro+. The largest part of the ceramic coating cost will be the prep work before the coating is applied.

Or just wash it, throw on a coat or 2 of Collinite 845 a few times a year and be done with it. One bottle of Collinite is about $20 on Amazon, will last about 4-6 months (probably 4 months if outside all the time), and one bottle will last you multiple years. You can also use it on the black trim pieces, just be sure not to use too much and buff it off completely or it can leave a bit of a chalky residue.

[Qwimby1]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

So, you are going to race it and need a harness restraint but are worried about leaving it the open the rest of the time? I would think that being uncovered will be the least of your worries as far as the finish goes.
As said just wax it with a good wax every once in a while.

Two different cars. The race car belongs to my wrench.
I bought the FRS for a DD, but still had my previous car and only a one-car garage, so one had to sit outside. Hence my question about covers, which produced the excellent advice from our colleagues here. My old car is now in storage so the new FRS sits in my garage while I prep it for HPDE, which does include harnesses, oil gauges, wheels, tires, pads, 3M front bra and the other usual stuff. Properly prepared, it won't show much wear from a few track days.

Florida is tough on paint, rubber and interiors. I'm leaning toward ceramic now, but will look into other things guys have suggested here. This has all been very good advice.

[DandoX]

I used a car cover for a while before to protect it from sap. One thing I learned is if you have an antenna you may want to get a fin upgrade as it gets caught on the cover easily and makes putting it on or off a pain.

[nikitopo]

Why don't you use the OEM cover? I used it last Winter and the fit was perfect.


Subaru part no.: M001SCA000

[Qwimby1]

Looks like I won't need to use one now, but thanks for all the good input, guys.