Good morning.
It's been too long since getting on here. Busy, busy, BUSY.

Preparing to trailer my XKR behind a 24' rental truck from Tennessee to Oregon. Getting conflicting advice from others about covering the car. My first thought is to protect it IF POSSIBLE. Greatest threat I see is the truck I'm driving a few feet in front of it.

If I were driving the car, it would not be covered (and I'd enjoy the trip a lot more).

Is there a way to protect it that is more helpful than harmful?

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We're moving to Klamath Falls to be near the kids and grandkids. No reason to leave here, just powerful reasons to be there.

 

Have you considered the possible damage from a cover flapping against the paint?

I would consider slathering the front and hood in thick grease ... maybe.

Or, take the truck out and come back for the car. Then again, without the car, you could send all the other stuff by moving van.

 

maybe a detailer or similar will chime in, but......

If it were me I certainly wouldn't cover it, you're just asking for scratches to be inflicted potentially all over the car, doing more harm than good.

Personally I'd get her washed n cleaned and give here a couple of generous coats of wax prior to heading off as protection against bird droppings, acid rain and toxic car fumes etc etc

 

Klamath Falls . . . a beautiful area. We were through there last year to visit Crater Lake National Park. Enjoy your move and grandkids.

I vote uncovered. A wind screen would be nice but not a flapping cover.

 

Is there some kind if temporary protective plastic that can be applied similar to what new car manufacturers use in transit? Perhaps a dealer or auto transport trucking company would have info on this.

 

sheets of mactac from walmart?

 

I would be concerned about the covering/tarp when sitting still all will look well but a 60-70 mph you will be creating a lot of friction points at the tie down points and trap flapping. A good wax job will and should protect the car from road grime. I assume the trailer has a front rail, if your concerned about the tow vec. Kicking up road debri, mount a piece of 3/4 in ply wood ripped into 2 x8 ft lengths and mount using muffler clamps to fit the rail. Have a great trip. Jim

 

They transport expensive new boats in a blue or white shrink wrap material.....

 

Thank you, thank You. Certainly the right crew to ask.

Thanks, Plums, for the affirmation. Despite the good intent of my car-rebuilder friend, I could only think of a cover as beating the paint to pieces, or "buffing" off the paint.

We thought about a moving van, but we're downsizing from 3400 square feet to ??? and decided to dramatically downsize on the stuff, too. Won't quite all fit in the XKR trunk, though.

MacTac, eh? Looks like they have a lot of interesting products. Will check it out.

I like the idea of a good cleaning and generous wax, Jim. I'm now remembering a friend whose car had a bra and he always slathered on the wax there, and left it in place. Prevented the bra from scratching the paint.

Since it doesn't look like a detailer has chimed in yet, anyone know of a reason to not leave the last layer of wax without wiping and buffing? Will it be problematic to remove (what's left) at the other end of the road?

I knew there was a reason I was keeping those sheet goods, Jim. Good idea.

That would be cool, Jazz. Interesting idea. I know we used to avoid putting a regular cover on the boat while trailering because it just seemed to accumulate dirt. The shrink wrap should solve that.

Give us a couple months to get situated out there and we'll be ready to entertain guests. How about a shot of Crater Lake ringed by XKs?

 

Maybe check with one of those vinyl car wrap places. You won't necessarily need the whole car done, so cost should be lower. Might get a bargain if you were willing to use whatever scrap pieces they had left? Or offer to advertise and they can cover it with their logo and number.

More expensive than a car cover, but will certainly protect the paint, and it comes off when you get there.

Just trying to think out of the box.

 

Hmm, that's an interesting idea, Mike. And maybe a chance to play with the wrap idea.

 

Well there's always PlastiDip

Personally I'd have it transported in a covered carrier although I know that's costly.

Don't leave the (excess) wax on. The sun will burn in the swirls.

Congrats on the move... Klamath is beautiful.

 

Wow! There's an idea, eh? Hmmm...Then add a lift kit?
Wow. That's a lot more serious than I thought. Has some promise, but I do like to gloss look for the XKR.

Thanks for the caution on the wax.

Thought about transport, but, yup, cost was more than I wanted to spend. My wife says I'm careful with my money, but really, in some things, I'm just cheap.

 

The reason folks leave a bra on is to hide the damage done to the paint . . . by the bra.

 

3M is touting a clear spray-on product which provides a cheap alternative to a clear bra. It costs about $25/can. Haven't tried it, but illustrations show some masking of chrome and headlights required. 3M claims it will last up to a year and then can be peeled off.

 

Wow. No ear protection, eye protection, breathing mask? That guy's going to be in a world of hurt years from now.

 

3M has a spray on clear bra product and if it looks bad it just peals off when you want it gone. Like plastidip but clear. 3M product. It is on my list of things to try but have heard good things about it.

 

OK, well, I assume that we have all seen that protective white material that they put on the new cars when we see them being transported on car carriers, and I have even seen it on cars in trains, which now have metal sides to them, as I understand the hooligans in some areas threw the railroad rocks into those brand new cars.

It looks like a sort of vinyl wrap that adheres to the body.

As I speak, here you go.

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