[DeTomaso] Help with Pantera Car covers
audionut at hushmail.com
audionut at hushmail.com
Mon Aug 10 21:06:57 EDT 2015
Hey Terry--
I may be close to an expert on car covers, having tried many over the
years with cars stored both indoors and out. Go with custom fit,
always. The cold hard truth is that there is no car cover that will
protect a car that is kept outside from corrosion, regardless of it's
location. Even the best cover is only going to keep dirt and debris
from falling onto the car as well as most of any nighttime/morning
dew. A good car cover must be breathable and not trap moisture in
order for it to not accelerate metal corrosion. But no matter what,
humidity in the local air is always going to find it's way into every
nook and cranny of the car no matter where you live or what you cover
it with. Even if you had a garage, the ocean air would still be
inside, although perhaps a bit less humid. Rust never sleeps. Once
it starts chomping on any and all exposed metal, the best we can do,
barring torches and welders, is slow it down. Luckily, we can do that
pretty well these days. Some guys use inflatable bubble-type
"garages" some of which can monitor and control the interior humidity
level. Haven't tried one of these myself here in CA but if I lived
near the ocean I surely would try one. Moving somewhere with a
garage is definitely your best bet, but if that is not an option, what
I would recommend for you is what I have found to be a great
combination. Lighter and softer is best next to the paint. Car covers
on cars stored outside are going to get wind-blown and over time the
cover will eventually rub the paint off of every sharp corner and
edge, even if it is the softest, lightest one out there. But it would
take a long time before you noticed any rub-through, maybe 10 years or
so. Over the soft and light cover, use one that is designed for
outdoors/all weather conditions. These keep rain out but still
breathe well enough to let moisture dry. However this combo will not
stop humidity in the air and although it breathes, moisture under it
will take longer to dry than no cover at all. I used this combo on my
21' Cadillac hearse (my garage being only 19') which was stored
outside during one rainy CA winter/spring. I found that if I didn't
pull the all-weather cover off and shake it after a rainstorm and let
it dry out, the airborne moisture that collected under it took days to
evaporate and the bumpers started showing tiny rust spots. It was a
pain in the butt to pull the cover off every time it rained but I did
it and the rust spots stopped appearing. Whenever I pulled the top
cover off after a storm, I noticed the softer one underneath it was
always a bit damp. However, all I had to do was leave it on the car
and this dampness usually dried up completely in less than an hour.
This is what I currently use on all my cars, all of them now kept in
garages: 1) Cal Car Cover "Dust Stop" against the paint. This indoor
cover is very light and soft. I get about 10 years out of these.2)
CCC, "Stormweave" over the Dust Stop. This cover is very durable and
sheds water like a duck's back. If used exclusively outdoors, this
cover will last around 5 years, maybe longer if the sun doesn't bake
it.
The second cover is overkill in the garage but for me it's easier to
keep them on the car than in a big pile somewhere. I use the
all-weather covers because I've found that I may need to cover any
particular car at any time during overnighters or extended road trips.
Ever stayed at a hotel (or residence) and have your car blasted by
sprinklers overnight? I have. The second cover also keeps the first
cover clean(er) and stops it from wearing out too quickly. Even in a
garage, stuff will fall onto the soft cover and quickly get it dirty,
the fine particles of which still penetrate the cover, dusting-up your
car a bit. Even with both these covers, I have to dust off my cars
each time the covers come off. This combo ought to work pretty well
for you under a car port. Make sure you strap them underneath so the
wind doesn't blow them off. If you aren't driving the car at least
weekly, pull the covers off (once a week at first, mornings are best
when humidity is highest) and check for airborne moisture possibly
being trapped by the top cover. If the first cover underneath is
often damp, then the second cover may be trapping moisture in the air
faster than it can dry. This may be unlikely but it's best to keep an
eye at first until you get familiar with your local air. Hope this
helps--
John, #5909 **I also have a few classic motorcycles which are pretty
much nothing but exposed metal. What I do is wipe all unprotected
metal with an oily rag, or, in tight spots, an oily brush (toothbrush
or bbq basting brush). Oil repels water and protects the metal, but
still, over time it wears off and you gotta do it again. I also do
this on my Pantera wherever there is exposed bare metal that is easily
accessible. It kinda looks cool too, giving an engine a
clean-looking, dark sheen.
Sent using Hushmail
On August 7, 2015 at 3:01 PM, "Mike Drew via DeTomaso" wrote:In a
message dated 8/7/15 12 15 55, terry.himes at jpl.nasa.gov writes:
>
> Also, living by the ocean with no garage (carport only) is not good.
>
>>>No. It's very bad, in fact. Homeless people live like that.
> > I use my fabric cover then put plastic
> over that.
>
>>>I'm no expert on this, but I suspect that's a bad idea. If it's
exposed to both moisture and sunshine, you're creating a giant
transpiration bag,
which allows moisture to condense on the underside of the plastic.
If you
have a cotton car cover, it then acts like a sponge. So you may have
manufactured a rust accelerator. : > But I really need some thing that
goes to the ground and won't pss' off
> my HOA and retired
> crabby people. (They have nothing to do & bitch about everything)
I'm
> the guy with the loud car. LOL ;-))
>
> Your thoughts?
>
>>>Grow up and MOVE out of your glorified dorm room (complete with
obnoxious hall monitors) to a real house with a real garage! :>) :>)
:>)
In the interim though, I would consider relocating the car to a
storage
facility. Prices vary, but you should be able to rent a 10x15 storage
unit
which will provide secure, dry storage for the car. Lori and I each
have one
for our lesser-driven cars, and it's proven to work exceptionally
well.
Costs vary based on location, but the combination of alarmed security
and
dryness/darkness/rodentlessness make it a far more attractive option
than just
throwing a cover over your car and letting the elements and the
critters
continue to savage it.
As a bonus, in an afternoon I built a 10x5 foot mezzanine that is
positioned in the rear of my storage unit, and allows me to store all
sorts of stuff
over the front of the car, including track tires, parts, camping gear,
etc.
etc. so I am getting double utility out of my space, a terrific bonus.
Having said all that, if you insist, Covercraft and California Car
Cover
Company both make terrific covers tailor-made for the Pantera. Pay
attention
to their website where it describes the different materials. Cotton
covers should ONLY be used indoors in a climate-controlled garage,
full stop.
They make covers for outdoor use, and one of those should be used,
exclusively (that is, don't then cover your cover with something else
that compromises
its effectiveness, like a car cover).
Oh, one more possibility. Your dorm monitor may not like it, but
Lori
used one of these for her race Mustang for a few years and it was
terrific:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039.html
It's infinitely better than a car cover, and if it was used in
conjunction
with a quality outdoor cover, that would be the best alternative to a
real
garage.
Good luck!
Mike
-------------- next part --------------
Hey Terry--
I may be close to an expert on car covers, having tried many over the
years with cars stored both indoors and out. Go with custom fit,
always.
The cold hard truth is that there is no car cover that will protect a
car that is kept outside from corrosion, regardless of it's location.
Even the best cover is only going to keep dirt and debris from falling
onto the car as well as most of any nighttime/morning dew. A good car
cover must be breathable and not trap moisture in order for it to not
accelerate metal corrosion. But no matter what, humidity in the local
air is always going to find it's way into every nook and cranny of the
car no matter where you live or what you cover it with.
Even if you had a garage, the ocean air would still be inside, although
perhaps a bit less humid. Rust never sleeps. Once it starts chomping
on any and all exposed metal, the best we can do, barring torches and
welders, is slow it down. Luckily, we can do that pretty well these
days. Some guys use inflatable bubble-type "garages" some of which can
monitor and control the interior humidity level. Haven't tried one of
these myself here in CA but if I lived near the ocean I surely would
try one.
Moving somewhere with a garage is definitely your best bet, but if that
is not an option, what I would recommend for you is what I have found
to be a great combination.
Lighter and softer is best next to the paint. Car covers on cars
stored outside are going to get wind-blown and over time the cover will
eventually rub the paint off of every sharp corner and edge, even if it
is the softest, lightest one out there. But it would take a long time
before you noticed any rub-through, maybe 10 years or so.
Over the soft and light cover, use one that is designed for
outdoors/all weather conditions. These keep rain out but still breathe
well enough to let moisture dry. However this combo will not stop
humidity in the air and although it breathes, moisture under it will
take longer to dry than no cover at all. I used this combo on my 21'
Cadillac hearse (my garage being only 19') which was stored outside
during one rainy CA winter/spring. I found that if I didn't pull the
all-weather cover off and shake it after a rainstorm and let it dry
out, the airborne moisture that collected under it took days to
evaporate and the bumpers started showing tiny rust spots. It was a
pain in the butt to pull the cover off every time it rained but I did
it and the rust spots stopped appearing. Whenever I pulled the top
cover off after a storm, I noticed the softer one underneath it was
always a bit damp. However, all I had to do was leave it on the car
and this dampness usually dried up completely in less than an hour.
This is what I currently use on all my cars, all of them now kept in
garages:
1) Cal Car Cover "Dust Stop" against the paint. This indoor cover is
very light and soft. I get about 10 years out of these.
2) CCC, "Stormweave" over the Dust Stop. This cover is very durable
and sheds water like a duck's back. If used exclusively outdoors, this
cover will last around 5 years, maybe longer if the sun doesn't bake
it.
The second cover is overkill in the garage but for me it's easier to
keep them on the car than in a big pile somewhere. I use the
all-weather covers because I've found that I may need to cover any
particular car at any time during overnighters or extended road trips.
Ever stayed at a hotel (or residence) and have your car blasted by
sprinklers overnight? I have. The second cover also keeps the first
cover clean(er) and stops it from wearing out too quickly. Even in a
garage, stuff will fall onto the soft cover and quickly get it dirty,
the fine particles of which still penetrate the cover, dusting-up your
car a bit. Even with both these covers, I have to dust off my cars
each time the covers come off.
This combo ought to work pretty well for you under a car port. Make
sure you strap them underneath so the wind doesn't blow them off. If
you aren't driving the car at least weekly, pull the covers off (once a
week at first, mornings are best when humidity is highest) and check
for airborne moisture possibly being trapped by the top cover. If the
first cover underneath is often damp, then the second cover may be
trapping moisture in the air faster than it can dry. This may be
unlikely but it's best to keep an eye at first until you get familiar
with your local air.
Hope this helps--
John, #5909
**I also have a few classic motorcycles which are pretty much nothing
but exposed metal. What I do is wipe all unprotected metal with an
oily rag, or, in tight spots, an oily brush (toothbrush or bbq basting
brush). Oil repels water and protects the metal, but still, over time
it wears off and you gotta do it again. I also do this on my Pantera
wherever there is exposed bare metal that is easily accessible. It
kinda looks cool too, giving an engine a clean-looking, dark sheen.
Sent using Hushmail
On August 7, 2015 at 3:01 PM, "Mike Drew via DeTomaso"
<detomaso at poca.com> wrote:
In a message dated 8/7/15 12 15 55, terry.himes at jpl.nasa.gov writes:
>
> Also, living by the ocean with no garage (carport only) is not
good.
>
>>>No. It's very bad, in fact. Homeless people live like that.
> > I use my fabric cover then put plastic
> over that.
>
>>>I'm no expert on this, but I suspect that's a bad idea. If it's
exposed to both moisture and sunshine, you're creating a giant
transpiration bag,
which allows moisture to condense on the underside of the plastic.
If you
have a cotton car cover, it then acts like a sponge. So you may have
manufactured a rust accelerator. :<(
> > But I really need some thing that goes to the ground and won't
pss' off
> my HOA and retired
> crabby people. (They have nothing to do & bitch about
everything) I'm
> the guy with the loud car. LOL ;-))
>
> Your thoughts?
>
>>>Grow up and MOVE out of your glorified dorm room (complete with
obnoxious hall monitors) to a real house with a real garage! :>) :>)
:>)
In the interim though, I would consider relocating the car to a
storage
facility. Prices vary, but you should be able to rent a 10x15
storage unit
which will provide secure, dry storage for the car. Lori and I each
have one
for our lesser-driven cars, and it's proven to work exceptionally
well.
Costs vary based on location, but the combination of alarmed
security and
dryness/darkness/rodentlessness make it a far more attractive option
than just
throwing a cover over your car and letting the elements and the
critters
continue to savage it.
As a bonus, in an afternoon I built a 10x5 foot mezzanine that is
positioned in the rear of my storage unit, and allows me to store
all sorts of stuff
over the front of the car, including track tires, parts, camping
gear, etc.
etc. so I am getting double utility out of my space, a terrific
bonus.
Having said all that, if you insist, Covercraft and California Car
Cover
Company both make terrific covers tailor-made for the Pantera. Pay
attention
to their website where it describes the different materials. Cotton
covers should ONLY be used indoors in a climate-controlled garage,
full stop.
They make covers for outdoor use, and one of those should be used,
exclusively (that is, don't then cover your cover with something
else that compromises
its effectiveness, like a car cover).
Oh, one more possibility. Your dorm monitor may not like it, but
Lori
used one of these for her race Mustang for a few years and it was
terrific:
[1]http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039.
html
It's infinitely better than a car cover, and if it was used in
conjunction
with a quality outdoor cover, that would be the best alternative to
a real
garage.
Good luck!
Mike
References
1. http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039.html
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