[DeTomaso] Help with Pantera Car covers
Pantdino
pantdino at aol.com
Mon Aug 10 23:29:56 EDT 2015
My cars are garaged and I use 2 of those cheap, light, non-custom, woven types. As John says, the outer cover gets dirty and some fine dust will go thru it. The inner cover keeps the car dust-free. Once the outer cover gets too dirty (10 yrs?) you can throw it away and use the present inner cover as the new outer cover and the just-bought one as the new inner cover.
Jim Oddie
-----Original Message-----
From: audionut <audionut at hushmail.com>
To: Terry Himes (397C) <terry.himes at jpl.nasa.gov>; POCA <detomaso at poca.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 10, 2015 6:07 pm
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Help with Pantera Car covers
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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-------------- next part --------------
My cars are garaged and I use 2 of those cheap, light,
non-custom, woven types. As John says, the outer cover gets dirty and
some fine dust will go thru it. The inner cover keeps the car
dust-free. Once the outer cover gets too dirty (10 yrs?) you can throw
it away and use the present inner cover as the new outer cover and the
just-bought one as the new inner cover.
Jim Oddie
-----Original Message-----
From: audionut <audionut at hushmail.com>
To: Terry Himes (397C) <terry.himes at jpl.nasa.gov>; POCA
<detomaso at poca.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 10, 2015 6:07 pm
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Help with Pantera Car covers
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"
<[1]detomaso at poca.com> wrote:
In a message
dated 8/7/15 12 15 55, [2]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][3]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.
[4]http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039.html
_______________________________________________
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POCA
Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
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2. mailto:terry.himes at jpl.nasa.gov
3. http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039
4. http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-17-ft-portable-garage-69039.html
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