Outdoor Covers

[MrZippy]

Hi,

Just bought an F Type and new to tis forum. First Q is not F Type specific as such. No garage and so to protect car from tree debris and for winter protection, looking at car covers. However, these range from quite cheap available from Amazon to more expensive. Any suggestions on a good product. Not worried about price particularly unless we are talking hundreds! Thanks.

[Gazza H]

Hi, I have always worried about having a car cover due to possible marking of the paintwork pulling the cover on / off but I decided it was better to purchase a cover than leaving the car open to the elements. I purchased an All season's cover from Halfords in size medium that fits the F Type perfectly and for £60 I have found it to be of excellent quality and the inside of the cover is a very nice soft velour type material. I only use my car at weekends so it's quite easy for me to fit the cover only when the car is clean, I wouldn't recommend fitting a cover over a dirty car just to try and reduce the risk of marking your paintwork. I have only had the cover a few weeks and it hasn't been subjected to any major rain full so I can't comment on the waterproofing ability of this cover yet but so far for me all other aspects of the cover have been excellent.

[MrZippy]

Hi Gazza H, yes I saw that one reviewed positively in a 2021 review by autoexpress. Just shows you don not need to go to the exotic end of the price spectrum.

[cj10jeeper]

The issues I'm aware with car covers include, as mentioned by Gazza, that scratching can occur. This really is a function of how often it is taken on an off and if the car is just washed, so unless you use it infrequently or can fully clean first then I'd be wary.
Cheap covers don't fit so well and wind movement increases the scratching issues and finally there are lots of reports that moisture builds up on the paintwork and some indicate damage from it. They are not fit and forget items

Overall I'd suggest consider how much you will take it on or off, the balance of protecting against some tree debris, rain, sun, VS the downside issues and of course if a coupe or roadster, accepting a bit more need to have the top treated and cleaned.

[@299Peter]

A word of warning regarding car covers from my own bitter experience.

Took my Santorini black F-Type into my local detailers for a spring clean ‘service valet’. On the nose of the bonnet we discovered two patches of fine scratches, which we believe were down to the effect of wind blowing my car cover across the nose of the bonnet when under cover. Mine was not a cheap car cover either, bespoke, made to fit an F-Type coupe with soft fleece effect inner lining to protect the exterior paintwork.

The detailers, who deal with a range of marques of cars - McLarens and a range of Porsches in the workshop this week alone, do not recommend the use of car covers for exactly this reason. Mine will be going back in later to have the fine scratches/marks removed.

Hope this helps

Peter

[Hotlurve]

the way i see this there is only one solution to this issue and that is two covers! one elasticated inner cover that is soft and fits tight . then a cheap ish outer waterproof cover.
if the wind blows the outer cover around then it only rubs on the inner cover not the paint plus also the air circulates to keep the inner dry.

i do this on the ferrari and it works a treat and really doesn’t take much longer to put on

https://autocovers.co.uk/shop/?make=Jag ... 3QQAvD_BwE#

[@299Peter]

Hotlurve

Good idea. I’ll try that - I am still keen to cover mine when not in use but can’t abide the thought of repeated marking of the paintwork.

Thanks for the post

P

[MrZippy]

Thanks for comments. I only thought of a cover because we are surrounded by trees (at the moment Jag is covered in blossom and other 'Spring debris', which gets in
all the nooks and crevices) and in the winter leaves, twigs and other detritus fall all over the drive. We have a large tarmac driveway, but no garage space. Never bothered with our other cars, but worried about leaving this one out to the elements. May just use one in Winter then.

[Gazza H]

Hi Zippy,
The double cover idea from Hotlurve does sound spot on but in the name of good consumer research I'm going to stick with covering my car as I have been. Like you, my driveway seems to attract everything nature can throw at it ill keep a really good eye on the bodywork over the coming months particularly as Peter reported the issues he had and report if I see any signs of rubbing of the paintwork. Because of this thread I've been really conscious to make a note of anything that may be useful information to help you and anyone else reading this to make an informed decision and although It's only been a few weeks of using my cover I have noticed that where the cover goes over the exhaust tips there is a smudge of exhaust soot on the inside of the cover which does go to prove how easily the inside of the cover can become contaminated.

[Hotlurve]

i think it’s doubly important to cover up for those that have soft tops like me so to protect the fabric roof and stop the drain points blocking up which as mentioned in other threads can cause the boot flood issues ect.

and my mum always told me to double bag it