David_M

I don't have a garage for my new car.

I was thinking about getting one of those tent deals that cover the car. However tonights rain storm has made me reconsider since the winds were quite high.

So now I'm thinking about a car cover. I've never had one before. Will it scratch the car? How about the hot FL sun? It seems to me that covering the car with a sheet out in the sun is just going to bake it.

ugh!

Any ideas?

flatso

definitely a car cover is your best bet

David_M

wouldn't the cover bake the car inside it? How about scratches?

Should I get the mazda cover, or an aftermarket?

flatso

I would get an aftermarket like Noah. There is a slight chance of scratches but if you learn to roll the cover on and off you minimize the risk of that. The Mazda cover is not worth it.

flatso

here is where I got my evolution cover for 130. Great cover

King_RX8

Wash deaily is also a good option!! :-)

David_M

not so worried about keeping it clean as much as it sitting in the sun and rain.

I've always had garages .. until now. I bought and live in a 35' RV and it's been a blast - being able to move anytime I change jobs. The bad part is no garage and sometimes the lack of space.

D MENAC 7

I have a garage, I just can't get my car into it. Gonna rent a dumpster soon and have a big garage sale too. Anyway, I keep my RX-8 clean as possible. I run it through an automatic car wash about twice a week, depending on weather conditions. Once every two weeks, just after payday, I take it to one of those car washes where they dry it by hand. About once every 3 or 4 weeks, I hand wax it after going through that car wash and detail it. My 15 year old son does the wheels, I do the body. One thing I learned affter my first hand waxing, don't get any on the black trim such as under the side view mirrors, the rear bumper, the side vents, front grille...etc. I did this and it had a film of white on it. I got rid of it by using McGuirs trim and vinyl conditioner or something like that. I hate Armour All, it collects dust. This cleaning regimen keeps it clean and the waxing makes dust just roll off of it. When it rains a lot, it gets dirty, I just have to wait for clearer weather.

D MENAC 7

They do make temporary carport type covers that can be put up and taken down. Someone posted one on here the other day, I'll do a quick search and if I can find it, I will post it's URL.

David_M

In case anyone hasn't seen this site:

http://www.mazda.co.jp/accessory/garage/rx-8/index.html

I created my car with it:

http://tyrannical.org/rv/rx-8/jason_rx8.jpg

Silver + GT + Navi + MS Spoiler

Was going to get the apperance, but dealer wants 2k for it installed and I think that is way too much for a 800 dollar item. I also priced out the MS body kit, but with the wing it's well over 4 grand. I'm happy with the above for 33k out the door (including tax, tag, etc).

David_M

Yeah... the car port things are what I initially wanted, but the wind tonight taught me a lesson. Even the RV awning had to be brought in. I just moved to north tampa and the lack of trees in this area plus being by a lake has a lot of wind and I would be quite upset if the car port with the metal frame came down on my new car!

Even the heavy 200 lbs car ports are only rated for around 40mph.

D MENAC 7

Yeah, I guess there is no solution unless you want to buy a covered trailer.

PhineasFellOff

What if you made a teepee with a floor so that you drive your car into it? The weight of the car on the floor will provide a solid foundation for the teepee even under a heavy storm.

guy321

The teepee would flail around in the wind and scratch up your car.

PhineasFellOff

I don't think it will, not if you make it right.

Booster MPS

If he lives in Florida, trust me, any tent type of cover would be a mess. I am in WPB and it is black outside right now. I have a garage at home but I have a cover to protect from the sun here at work.

TwoZooms

I bought a Weathershield cover from AJ USA (www.ajusa.com). It wasn't cheap, but I've been impressed with it so far. It's very light and compressible, so you can wash and dry it along with your clothes (okay, maybe not with your clothes, but certainly in your home washer and dryer). In heavy rain, not a drop has made it through to the paint.

I've had two small problems (neither of which is entirely unique to the Weathershield product). First, high winds (30mph +) can lift the cover off one end of the car. The cover won't fly off into the trees because you can tie it down with a cable and/or a rope, but it isn't good for the cover or the car to have one end flapping around in the breeze.

The other problem is that after a good coat of Zaino, the car is so slippery that the cover will tend to slide off the car when I'm putting it on or taking it off. The Weathershield cover is so light that it also tends to get caught by even gentle breezes, which compounds the problem. With someone else helping, this isn't a problem.

I'm thinking about getting a thicker cover (Evolution IV or Noah) for thunderstorm season -- my thinking is that a thick cover will protect against possible hail damage.

Bottom line: a cover won't substitute for a garage, but it does serve a purpose.

mngpao

Zaino the car to protect it. Keep the car clean.

If using a cover: make sure the car is as clean as possible (get the dust off) before putting it on. Covers have a tendancy to rub and scratch the paint in high winds. Get one with a real soft liner and secure it properly so the wind can't get under it and flop around.

David_M

Will whomever is posting with my screen name please clear your cookies. This is getting annoying.