For my next question!.....I keep getting small and sometimes bigger scratches on my beautiful car. Seems I'm getting more than what I think is normal? The only thing I can think of is the car cover. I'm very careful in putting on and off but I dont drive it that much to pick up so many scratches. Has anyone out there had this problem with a car cover?.....The cover is not custom made but is not a cheap one either as it has 4 layers and isn't supposed to harm the car! The inner layer is real soft. I dont have access to a garage but maybe I'm better off leaving it uncovered.....I have touch up paint from the dealer that still matches my paint well but what is best product for the superficial scratches? I have mequiars rubbing compound for clear coats but I'm reluctant to use it!

 

Yeah... car covers can definitely cause scratches. It isn't the cover itself, it's the dirt that's on the car when you put the cover on. You should only cover the car after it's been washed and dried. And even if you wash the car now, you need to clean the inside of the cover very well before putting it back on. Little grains of sand can get embedded in the inside of the cover and cause all sorts of little scratches.

Many many years ago I bought a "bra" for my Subaru XT Coupe thinking it would prevent the paint chips on the front end. Each time I would take it off to wash the car there would be more and more scratches under the bra. After a few months I just threw it away because it was causing more damage than it was preventing. A cover can be good for protecting the car, but you need to keep the inside of the cover very clean, and never put it on a car that hasn't been just washed.

 

+1 on Reverend Sam's response. I used to use car covers religiously until I stopped to ask myself why the clear coat was always breaking down on my car roofs. Turned out it was the covers scouring off the paint. Now I just depend on a good wax or other finish protection product.

However I still miss the ability to shade the interior adequately from the sun, but window tint and sun shades in the front window seem to do just as well.

Steve

 

No car covers for me....they're notorious for scratching the paintwork, almost, no matter how careful you are, as per the previous comments.

Megiuars ScratchX may help with some of the light scratches I think, there's alos their Ulltimate Compound which may do the trick, the deeper ones depending how bad may require a machine polish to remove.

Best advice really, is to ask our pro detailer on site in the detailing section, or a pro detailer in your area ifthere's one you trust.

Good luck

 

Lately I too have been finding small wispy scratches, which leads me to believe it happens when I rub against the cover and car causing whatever dirt is on the inside to scratch the paint, or when I'm removing the cover. My car cover was previously on another car, and I'm sure is not all that clean on the inside. Additionally every time I remove the cover I seem to have more dust on the car than when the cover went on.

Time for a new cover or skip the cover altogether.

mjw

 

I quit using my cover for the same reasons mentioned above.

Some of what I read about covering a car said that the cover has to be able to breathe so as not to trap moisture underneath which could damage the paint. That, of course allows dust and pollen to get underneath it, and when I took it off, it would have the dust and pollen on it, probably even more than if it were not covered, because once it got there, it would stay there with the cover on it.

 

I use a interior cover i got from California Car Cover Co.

CCCC - Custom-Fit Interior Covers


This cover does NOT touch the paint ( well around the mirrors is the only place. The picture shows straps but this is not the case with a XK8! There are "wedges" just like the boot cover has and elastic bands that go around the door handles and velcro around the mirrors and also around the windshield wipers. Takes about 3 min to put on and keeps the interior very cool!!

 

You need at least two people to put a clean cover on a clean car, garaged.... if you want to use one for long term storage. Other than that, don't use one. It'll cause more damage than it could ever protect.

 

WOAH! - we are talking about two different kinds of car covers here. One covers the entire car, and one covers only the top.

I have one of the latter, and it does a great job of keeping dust, etc. from the inside - but does not keep the exterior paint clean or dust-free.

Different products for different uses. DaleD

 

I have used covers on several of my cars, including the XKR, and have never experienced any problems.

 

I started using a car cover after having the whole car repainted. The factory clear coat just couldn't take NJ weather I guess. I have since noticed what I thought was pollen getting through the cover. In reality it was the interior layer, it has 3 layers, of the cover that is degrading. Just like any other foam it turned yellow and got kind of stiff. I only use the cover now if there is the threat of a major storm which may blow stuff onto the car. Irene left all kinds of tree branches and such around the car. The cover is just enough cushion that there was no damage to the car. Jack

 

I use two different covers and I don't have a problem but I do have them dry cleaned when they start to get dirty. They are only on the car in the garage so no outside dirt get on them.

 

I think that's the key: keep them clean and only use them indoors. I use mine when I know the car is going to be confined to the garage for longer than, say, a week to protect it from accidental knocks and scrapes from our 4-year-old who likes to sneak into the garage and "use daddy's tools"

It's made from a kind of thick sweatshirt material, extra fluffy inside

 

Wow that's a beautiful cover! I agree with points made about using cover inside, and keeping it clean. I used mine to cover car at work, and faught with dust and dew all the time.


Steve

 

Outdoor covers are a nightmare. If you want to hold in dust and damp, there's no better way.

 

Since January 2008 I have been using a Covercraft Weathershield Car Cover, it was not cheap, just over $300, but I do not have a garage and I live in NY near JFK and you would be amazed at how much crap falls out of the sky under the flight path (even dead people one year LOL) the only issue I have had is that the cover will come off the front or back in strong wind so I have had to create a tiedown system with a couple of bungy cords. After 3 years the elastic is useless around the edges since all the stitching has come undone so I am looking for a new car cover now, I think you tend to get what you pay for but I would welcome any suggestions for winter car covers.

 

The thing about car covers it that they are perfect for holding everything air borne against the paint.

Every time you open a garage door there is a surge of air carrying more airborne particles and more importantly every car cover will puff slightly no matter how well fitted.

This slight movement is enough to allow more particles to get under the cover and then 'scratch' the paint. This is exacerbated when the cover is removed since it is impossible to do it without the cover touching the car or dragging it across the car.

A car with a cover can develop scratches just from sitting there. This is obviously much worse for cars outside.

It is better to use a polymer coating like Klassic to protect the paint from sun damage and then the best wax you can apply over the polymer. Interior sun shades for the windows will protect a car that has to be outside.

I used to have a University Professor of Chemistry for a neighbor who worked on the side for the CIA who explained all of this to me in great detail. He swore by Klassic and frankly I was in no position to challenge a guy who could call in drone strikes.

Guys with collectible top dollar cars like Ferrari's don't even use soap in the wash bucket, just fresh cold water and a cleaned chamois to dry to protect their paint from the chemicals in the soap.

Besides a dusty or dirty car just gives you another chance to admire your car when you wash it.

jamjax

 

Has anyone tried anything like,
Protect your car inside with an Airchamber or Perambulator Folding Garage

 

I have used a similar item on my Harley during winter storage when I lived in cold climates, but never for a car. Worked quite well on the bike.

 

On the other hand, a couple of virtues of car covers:

Preventing the etching of water spots by the sun

Preventing paint damage from bird crap