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Car Covers - any good??



  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
Hey people,

Lately I am getting rather cheesed off with the amount of bird/seagul/eagle excrement on the car... one drop on the bonnet was only on for about 36 hours (forgot to wipe it off) and the fu*ker has left a stain on the clearcoat :mad:
I'm also going on holiday next week and do not like the idea of leaving it in the sun with most probably plenty of poo scattered over it.

I'm thinking of getting a car cover - anyone got them? Are they worth it? Do they trap in the moisture and cause potential paint problems as i'd heard of a while back? One thing i worry about is a covered car would probably attract more attention than an uncovered car, you agree?

Tell me your thoughts / reviews / recommendations sil vous plait. Here are a couple of example products that i'm looking at, feel free to advise me otherwise!...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_564287_langId_-1_categoryId_165611

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...3/3|cat_12107493|Car+accessories|12107494.htm

Thanks!:cool:
 
  PH1 iceburg
I think it is best to spend a bit more and get one that breathes, otherwise the car can sweat underneath and will just stay damp.
 
  Clio 1.2 Dynamique 2003
I've never bought one for my Clio as bird mess never seems to be a problem, but I did buy one for my classic car. It cost about £70 from argos I seem to remember, expensive, but it does the job, and aeriates well so there's no problem with moisture.
They also have two other big advantages. In summer they stop it getting too hot inside, and in winter they keep all the frost off, so that saves 5 minutes in the morning!

If you can keep it indoors ofcourse that's the best, but otherwise get a higher quality one.
 
I had a tyvek one from halfrauds that was ok, I didn't leave it on the car for ages though, a few days tops.

I have a proper breathable one for the vee, i've left that on for a week before with no problems.

The car must always be clean before using it though.
 
If the car doesn't get used often then a breathable one with a soft inner is fine so long as the car is cleaned first. On a daily driver overnight then there's no point at all.
 
I have one for hols as well, one off ebay fitted to the car, about 45/55 quid.

What ever you do, don't forget to take the aeriel off, otherwise you get a gay looking bent one :(
 
  182 FF
i went to auz for 6weeks in feb and i used one of the halfords covers, i washed the car before i put it on and it worked fine. Ps you will need the medium one
 
  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
Thanks for all your comments...

If the car doesn't get used often then a breathable one with a soft inner is fine so long as the car is cleaned first. On a daily driver overnight then there's no point at all.
I wouldn't use it just overnight, I'd mainly be getting it for when i go on holiday, and would probably use it after i've cleaned the car and when we wont be using it for a few days etc. Not that i would but what would happen if you put a cover on an the car was a bit grubby?

I have one for hols as well, one off ebay fitted to the car, about 45/55 quid.
What ever you do, don't forget to take the aeriel off, otherwise you get a gay looking bent one :(
Good tip! Does it just screw off or have Renault been true to form and made it as awkward as possible?

i went to auz for 6weeks in feb and i used one of the halfords covers, i washed the car before i put it on and it worked fine. Ps you will need the medium one
So the Halfrauds small deffo wont fit? I've heard a lot of people saying they easily blow away from the car, so though a small one may be a more snug fit?...
 
  Golf GT & A4 Avant
Looks ok as it says it's breathable, but not what material used.

I'd strongly recommend looking for one made from Tyvek as Cat mentioned above, by far a supioror product
 
  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
I had a tyvek one from halfrauds that was ok, I didn't leave it on the car for ages though, a few days tops.

I have a proper breathable one for the vee, i've left that on for a week before with no problems.

The car must always be clean before using it though.

Thanks Cat... what is the spec of the one for the Vee?... where you get it from?
 
The tyvek one was a medium, it wasn't for a clio though. The cover is silver so it looks a bit tin foil like.

The breathable one for the vee came with the car, it cost about £200 or so as it's made for the car. I think it came from specialist car covers. That cover is blue & very thick, it has straps which clip together to hold it on.

Vee cover
 
  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
The tyvek one was a medium, it wasn't for a clio though. The cover is silver so it looks a bit tin foil like.

The breathable one for the vee came with the car, it cost about £200 or so as it's made for the car. I think it came from specialist car covers. That cover is blue & very thick, it has straps which clip together to hold it on.

Vee cover

That looks quality!... i bet your Vee is absolutely mint! <Jealousy>...
Any pics to rub salt in the wound?.. HAve you had the Vee from new?

£200 is a little more than i can afford to pay at the mo! :dapprove:
 
  Golf GTD Mk7
it depends on what you're after. Was looking at one for mine, but unless you get a custom one (between 200-300quid) which is breathable then you could have issues with the paint work. The cheap ones flap around in the wind and the material will scratch the paint. If tied down the bits can really damage the paint when the wind moves them.

I guess what i'm saying is unless you're going to spend a reasonable amount on one. dont bother, or build a car pool.
 
Some pics of the car are on here (look up my username in clio media) as i'm no pic wh0re. I've had it for a few years now:)
 
  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
it depends on what you're after. Was looking at one for mine, but unless you get a custom one (between 200-300quid) which is breathable then you could have issues with the paint work. The cheap ones flap around in the wind and the material will scratch the paint. If tied down the bits can really damage the paint when the wind moves them.

I guess what i'm saying is unless you're going to spend a reasonable amount on one. dont bother, or build a car pool.

Meh. Food for thought.
Ok, so i don't currently have the cash to get a custom fitted one.
And i don't live anywhere that building a car pool is feasible.
So what would you say is the best way to combat bird turd while i'm on holiday!?... The mark it left after 36 hours was shocking. If its left a week, with some sun, it will be nauseating...
 
  NOTHING
if you cant get a good cover , get some high quality wax on your car , put a few layers on, this should give the paint a fighting chance against the poo! as people have said dont buy a cheap one they will reck your paint, i got one for my s2000 from a place called - tha cover company- about 150 for a fitted breathable one, but the car MUST be clean when you put it on.
 
  Golf GTD Mk7
Meh. Food for thought.
Ok, so i don't currently have the cash to get a custom fitted one.
And i don't live anywhere that building a car pool is feasible.
So what would you say is the best way to combat bird turd while i'm on holiday!?... The mark it left after 36 hours was shocking. If its left a week, with some sun, it will be nauseating...

I suppose you could use a cheap cover and try and protect the potential 'friction areas' by putting microfibre towels under the cover. For a quick fix. Then once the sheet is tightly in place there shouldn't be any damage. Might be a bit tricky to do, but just an idea. I'm sort of in the same boat. What to do :S Hoping for a bonus at work, so might invest in a good one :)
 
  L'arctic Bleu Clio 182FF
I suppose you could use a cheap cover and try and protect the potential 'friction areas' by putting microfibre towels under the cover. For a quick fix. Then once the sheet is tightly in place there shouldn't be any damage. Might be a bit tricky to do, but just an idea. I'm sort of in the same boat. What to do :S Hoping for a bonus at work, so might invest in a good one :)

It's so annoying... i'm tempted to get the better one from Argos... put it on, and when i get back take it back for a refund. Deal or no deal?
 


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