Outdoor car cover? Reccomend me.

Need some outdoor covers. One for the miata, one for nader, one for the neon.

At this time, budget IS a concern. However, if a few bucks makes a huge difference, its ok. Double price maybe not.

I want all weather and sun proof. 

What brand? Two of the three will usually be covered by shade of some fashion, but don't count on it.

Primary reason is to keep sun damage, environmental fallout, and the freaking cats off.

Following. 

I wouldn't really recommend using covers outdoors. Dust tends to get underneath them and the wind then has the cover act like sandpaper.

My 911 project has nice scratches all over the paintwork because of that.

I do use a couple of covers indoors to keep the birdE36 M3 off the paintwork of the cars stored in my shop building, but if I've got enough air movement in that building to worry about paint damage from the cover, I likely have a bigger problem.

I actually just purchased a cover for my E34 wagon, it's supposed to arrive today, so no review on it yet. It's from a place called Carcoversfactory. I believe I have one of their more generic cover for the 2002, but I bought that one a few years ago and can't remember the details. The issue I have had with the generic cover is that it just has a basic draw string and a few plastic grommets to secure it in place. High winds have removed the cover a few times in the past, before I resorted to daisy chaining some zip ties to keep it on. 

I can't really comment on whether it would damage the paint, because the '02 is vinyl wrapped, though the material seems soft on the inside of the cover. It does seem to keep water out, which was my main concern. Seems like if you are worried about anything beyond that you should be finding a place to keep it inside. Not sure what qualifies as budget in this category, but the generic cover was a little under $100 from what I can remember and I just got the E34 cover for $150.

I'm looking for a cover too. It's critical to keep the water out of the car; I don't care so much about paint issues.

I bought a "Mosom Plus Car Cover by Coverking" for the NA Miata. It was my first experience using a car cover. I was not sure what to expect but since my rain rail went in rainy summer weather I needed something quick.

I LOVE this cover. It's light, rolls up easily, dries quick, and you can put it on or take off in about 30 seconds. Truly an impressive product as far as my needs.

Edit: I'm not worried about paint either but this fits sung. I don't think it would ever flap around. Having elastic all the way around the bottom is great. 

I have been using outdoor covers for years. I've got some that are a couple of decades old. The cars look great. 
 

If you buy a cheap one, it will be crap. 
If you want one that will last more than two years, it will not be cheap. 
 

Nobody has ever followed my suggestions :)

I have the Coverking "Stormproof" cover for the Porsche. It's lightweight, fits perfectly (they even altered it to fit my Turbo spoiler) and has mirror pockets. Dries out really quick. And looks good with the car in my driveway (unlike the ill-fitting cheap cover that's on the rally car).

In reply to Keith Tanner :

It's like spending money on your foundation. It's not sexy. When your walls crack, though... 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

What brand are the good quality ones and what's a ballpark price?

BoxheadTim said:

I wouldn't really recommend using covers outdoors. Dust tends to get underneath them and the wind then has the cover act like sandpaper.

My 911 project has nice scratches all over the paintwork because of that.

I do use a couple of covers indoors to keep the birdE36 M3 off the paintwork of the cars stored in my shop building, but if I've got enough air movement in that building to worry about paint damage from the cover, I likely have a bigger problem.

I use them because both my Porshce (sunroof) and rally e30 (various places) leak sitting on an incline (my driveway) in heavy rains and also sit under a big oak tree that birds like to bomb off of. 

Then again, neither has a paint job I care that much about. But I've never noticed any paint issues on the Porsche (which has pretty good paint) from the cover. It's form-fitting and doesn't move at all even during windy storms. Loose-fitting covers may be a different story. 

I bought one from Steeda for my mustang 17 years ago.  I know I spent over $120 on it. It was in use outdoors for 8 of those years I think. Its still in good shape and didnt really noticeably damage the paint. Only thing is you have to watch wind exposure as well as make sure the car is CLEAN before you put it on.   If you care about the paint, I would still pull the cover every once in a while for longer storage and wash the car. to avoid the dust problems.

The good covers have more cinch points than the center under the car one to keep it tight to the car.  Mine has one in front of the front wheels and behind the back ones and a lock/looser one in the middle that is a steel cable. 

I've had a couple covers from the California Car Cover Co.: https://www.calcarcover.com/covers  They were good quality and fit well.

I bought a custom fit no-name Amazon cover for the Boxster. It was kind of a rush deal and I needed something quickly to keep the cats off as well. I think it about $80. I can't find the page anymore. 
It straps down in the front and the back and it holds on pretty well. It's not quite water proof and "custom fit" is generous but it does the job. No paint damage that I can see but I'm not a detailer and the car is black and wasn't great to begin with.

If you can afford better I would recommend better but I can't say this wouldn't work for you. 
 

Everyday driver has a 10% off code with free shipping from covercraft if you decide to go that route. 
 

if anyone has maintenance/cleaning tips for their car covers I would like to hear them. Mine could use a wash and the inside around the bottom has picked up leaves and crap. I should clean it before the summer. 

In for more research. Not really concerned about paint (patina!), but I just noticed last Sunday that the dashboard in the Prelude I picked up recently isn't cracked. Looking for UV protection.

I have a lot of cars that I keep outside. Outdoor car covers are a compromise and will micro-scratch and wear your paint, but in most cases are better than doing nothing.

With any cover, avoid covering the car when it is dirty. Keep the cover tied down tight to prevent it from moving against the surface of the car in wind. Along with the cover, keep a good wax/polymer/ceramic coat to help protect the finish. I try to follow these principles, but really need to reduce my fleet to be able to keep on top of it.

Short video about washing car covers:

My top choice if money is not a factor would be custom fit covers made of bulky 'Noah' material, or thinner more weather repellant 'Weathershield' material. Expect to pay $350 to $500 for one of those. Expect them to last about five years with continuous outdoor use.

I started out with only a few cars that I kept covered and more expensive covers were okay then. Even with expensive ones, I was disappointed with how quickly they faded and degraded from UV and constant exposure. I tried a variety of cheap ones and found that if I'm spending under $150 most of the products available are complete junk. The one cheap cover that I have settled on is "Duck Covers Weather Defender" from Amazon ($35 - $65) . They are not custom fit, but they make a variety of sizes. In my opinion their sizes run a little large so I choose an inch or two short, rather than having extra material flapping in the wind. I get a little over a year before they start to degrade, so I buy a new one every few months and rotate them through my fleet until they fall apart on a parts car.

Duck Covers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ABE4726C-4166-4216-8692-9FEC7214ADD6?

(NMNA, but GRM may want to inquire if they would like to advertise)

California Car Covers is local to me. I have 8 of their covers last 15 years.  All covers custom fitted to cars with mirror pockets. Covers tucket super tight around front and rear bumper. Even though 90% of the time my stuff is in garage covered, I have had 2 cars outside for 3 summers covered. No issues. I am fastidious about my paint,a nd having my cars perfect, and even having 2 cars outside for 3 harsh CA summers, with the sunbrella covers, paint is better than new. 

I use their Sunbrella Outdoor cover - cost is $450-$490 a cover. 

For indoor I use Customweave Stretch Fit with  Flannel. - cost is about $390-$410 a cover. 

I got a custom fit one for the Mustang from American Muscle, I'd like to think there would be a similar source for the Miata community.   It was in the $ 180 ish range if I remember correctly.   It fits the car perfectly, decent quality (I've had it for about 3 years) and the material dries off quickly.  It's not water proof but also won't trap water under it.   Mostly got it to keep tree crap off the car that is an issue where it gets parked on summer weekend trips, it also goes on in the garage during the winter when I'm not driving it much.

I have had CoverCraft Weathershield HP covers for three different cars. The covers have all fit well. The Weathershield covers are lightweight and fit into a small bag ( approx 12" x 24")I also purchased from Covercraft. Don't remember actual cost but each was approximately $300. They all have held up well and have a four year warranty. One of the covers developed a problem with the seams coming loose. Covercraft replaced it at no cost and even sent 2nd day air. 

Two of these covers lived outside daily (except when car is being used) in a very hot and sunny environment. I never put the cover on the car when it is dirty or dusty. The only scratching I have had is a slight swirl much like you would see on any car in bright sunlight. This swirl was easily removed when waxing the car once or twice a year.

i also have a California Car Cover ( not sure which model) that came with one of the cars when I bought it. It is a very heavy multi layer cover and is kind of cumbersome to take on and off and store. It also fits the car very well. But I don't use it as much simply because it's harder to use.  In fairness to CCC it looks to be good quality. They also have thinner covers.  

if I were going to buy a new cover it would be a Covercraft or California Car Cover in one of the lighter weights and easy to store models. Expensive yes, but good customer service and probably cheaper in the long run then replacing cheaper covers that don't fit well or last. My opinion for what it is worth, your  mileage may vary.

Covercraft Weathershield HP. Custom fit (they will take the little optional lip spoiler into account on a Miata!), basically bombproof, compact. That custom fit is the key to preventing flapping. Expect to pay $300+, but you'll only pay it once. 

Noah and the other "quilted" fabrics are basically heavy duty Kleenex. Two year lifespan max and they'll start dropping dust all over the car as they degrade then then shred. 

Really, Keith? I follow always your advice, and this was no exception. 

Covercraft weathershield HP, right here. Fits the Miata like a glove. I always wash the car before putting it on, but I would think that is intuitive.

I had a video titled "Cheap Car Covers Don't" but did not publish it.     The key is to have them tied down as much as possible.  The heavier the material, less they flap as well, but still need to be tied down.   I'd say if you have room, put both a cover (for the cats) and inside a portable garage for the wind/rain.  :)

Keith Tanner said:

Covercraft Weathershield HP. Custom fit (they will take the little optional lip spoiler into account on a Miata!), basically bombproof, compact. That custom fit is the key to preventing flapping. Expect to pay $300+, but you'll only pay it once. 

Noah and the other "quilted" fabrics are basically heavy duty Kleenex. Two year lifespan max and they'll start dropping dust all over the car as they degrade then then shred. 

Sounds about right, though I think the degradation to my Covercraft Noah got help from sloppy roofers. Fortunately I think the next two stops for the 2002 are covered storage and then garage.

At the time, I thought I was springing for a good one, $200 being a lot to spend to cover a car whose paint is already so bad it would b a non-issue even if it weren't for worse body issues than the paint, but I wanted something that looked better than a giant bag draped over the car while the neighbor was selling his house. The Noah is closing on dead a couple years later.

Anyone ever shrink wrap a car?  Some of the local marinas will wrap boats to keep them clean during the off-season.

nderwater said:

Anyone ever shrink wrap a car?  Some of the local marinas will wrap boats to keep them clean during the off-season.

Never shrink wrapped, but I have 3 of my cars full 3M clear bra'd. I also own two car capsules - which are about $1800 each. Works great