Even though they’re made to be tough and capable of taking a punch every now and then, our four-wheelers can still fall victim to a variety of different pesky circumstances.
Be it tough weather, rust, pigeons with diarrhea, or some unholy alliance of the three, an unprotected car is liable to suffer the consequences of, well, not being protected!
In order to prevent your car from being abused by the aforementioned forced of sheer evil, obtaining a classic car cover might be the best overall solution. In this article, we’ll help you figure out what’s the best covering option for your trusty four wheeler!
Read on and see what’s what in the secretive world of car covers. (We’re ‘uncovering’ the car cover, haha, get it? Okay, moving on.)
Types of Car Covers
Outdoor Car Covers
Built to last and protect everything beneath them come hell or high water, outdoor car covers are a particularly tough breed of car accessories that every car owner should consider buying.
Since their main purpose is to fend off bad weather and various pieces of debris commonly found flying outside (Predominantly, we mean bird poop.), these can be used all year round without the need to add different layers in the winter or otherwise modify them.
Outdoor car covers are typically multi-layered on their own, and they’ll surely do one hell of a job defending your vehicle against bad weather, bird excrement, as well as dust and other potentially damaging particles!
Indoor Car Covers
In contrast to their outdoorsy cousins, the indoor car covers are made out of lighter materials and aren’t as heavily ‘armored’ since they don’t need to offer protection against the elements and other outdoor-bound pollutants.
Believe it or not, your car can get damaged even if it’s kept in a garage or some other indoor area! Harmful particles such as dust and small pieces of debris (if there’s a workbench nearby, for example) can damage your car’s paint finish or even clog up the air vents. Also, condensation can wreak havoc to the unprotected metal parts if the surrounding air is damp.
Custom Car Covers
As is often the case with items that have ‘custom’ in front of their name, custom car covers are specialized protective pieces of cloth made to match the exact shape and curves of a certain car.
Similarly to the two categories described above, custom car covers are built to be weather-resistant and to prevent condensation of the exposed metal parts while the vehicle is covered.
Typically, custom-made car covers are more expensive than the stock ones, but you’ll surely get more protection out of them and also- your car will look better when covered.
What to Look for in a Car Cover?
Weather Resistance
And when we say ‘weather resistance’ we first and foremost mean- water resistance. When it comes to keeping your vehicle parked outside, water, in all its states of aggregation, will pose by far the biggest threat to the well-being of your car’s body work.
Whether it’s rain, snow, heavy fog, or even hail, water can not only make your car dirtier (oddly enough), but also bring about the dreaded process of corrosion; even with metal alternatives like a polycarbonate sheet. Also, other elements such as wind and UV rays should be taken into consideration, as well.
It may sound petty, but prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays can damage your car’s paintwork and heat up its interior quite substantially during the day. Just a couple of hours of high temperature and your car may become undriveable due to the built-up heat. God forbid you should leave your dog in it (or worse still- a child) and forget to leave the window open!
Fine Fabric
If there’s one thing that can ruin an otherwise well kempt car, it’d be an eyesore of a scratch that seemingly came out of nowhere.
If you worry that your car’s paintjob might get compromised (the paint is old or too thin), you might want to get yourself and your trusty four wheeler a car cover that will be able to survive any potential scratches that may happen while your car is covered. Try to strike a perfect balance between toughness and a gentle touch and you’ll be good to go!
All in all, a well-made car cover can save you a lot of effort (and money) on fixing the damage that prolonged exposure to the elements and other factors can have on your car. Therefore, choose your car cover wisely and you’ll have a trusty automotive accessory for years to come!
