Car covers - recommendations?

[la toilette]

To be more specific, car top covers i.e. just to cover the roof and windows.

I bought an MR2 roadster a couple of months ago which I'm gonna be using all year round. It came with a soft top only which although >10yrs old seems in OK condition. But as the car is kept outdoors all the time I was thinking that it might be good to stick an additional cover on it overnight in autumn and winter etc.

Can anyone recommend a decent cover? There are loads on eBay and amazon from a tenner upwards but I'm struggling to find any consistently good reviews for any of them - all seem to range from 'this is great' to 'this is worthless shite'. Most of them look to be cheap flimsy material with crappy bits of underwear elastic to hold them on. What I'd really like is something just a little more substantial, and one that will stay on when it gets windy. I guess cheap and flimsy is an option as it wouldn't be too tragic if it got blown away or nicked, and I don't want to spend a fortune, but it would be nice to know what other options there are.

 

[Beobloke]

Reminds me of the walk home about ten years ago when I had been out with some mates for a curry and a beer or ten. We wandered along a road and came upon a car parked on the road and nicely tucked up under its cover - wisely so as the snow was falling that night and was already an inch or so deep on the ground.

Naturally, we stopped to admire the ingenuity of the owner and commented at how much easier his life would be the following morning when his car wouldn't be buried in snow and would be simply ready to go. We then carefully lifted the cover off, transferred it to the car next door before continuing home for more beer, a few whiskies and a game or two of poker...

 

[la toilette]

^^ Ha ha. Yeah, maybe cheap and cheerful is the best option, not so much to lose to drunken comedians .

 

[JBCobra]

Maybe one of these?

http://www.carcarpets.co.uk/toyota-mr2-mk3-sports-car-cover-99-07-2070-p.asp

 

[la toilette]

Thanks JB, the outdoors sound like they're well made going by the description....but I'm really after a cover that just goes over the top (windows and roof) rather than a full car cover, as there's barely any storage room in the car so small=good . The outdoor waterproof ones come in @ £123 which is kinda more than I was hoping to spend too. The indoor/outdoor ones look similar to the cheapie ones elsewhere.

Food for thought though, so thanks for the link.

 

[misterpete]

The small covers all tend to be flimsy articles, if you go for a full cover I would heartily recommend the Stormforce range.

 

[AnilS]

Be careful.

When the car covers flap about (even if tied down around the car), they can be a little abrasive and scuff the edges of the car. I had this with a cheap one and used it outside. It rubbed the paint of on the corner of the rear wing. Luckily, that area was being resprayed as part of my Merc's restoration.

I now use it as a dust cover when the car is in the garage.

The flock lined ones can also do this so there is no guarantee that an expensive one is any good. Maybe worth looking in a classic car mag for ideas?

 

[Guest]

I nearly bought one for my classic Mini (a full cover) but they have some disadvantages too, as above they can scratch/rub and keep any moisture that has got in IN, giving a lovely warm moist rust environment for your treasured iron.

 

[la toilette]

Thanks guys.

You know, I think I'll just start with a cheap one and see how it works out. I really don't even want a full car cover, just something to throw on overnight - it'll be uncovered all the rest of the time so trapping moisture shouldn't be an issue. Will try to vary how I attach the straps to avoid rubbing through the paint though :^ .

 

[gsrai]

Would something like these do the trick, I actually bought the first one and think its pretty good:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_895643_langId_-1_categoryId_165611#tab1

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_564287_langId_-1_categoryId_165611

 

[XJC]

If you keep your car outside the only thing that can protect it is tlc and elbow grease. Covers can cause more condensation than precipitation and in this country, that's saying a lot. I don't know about MR2's but a little wax or oill coating will do the trick. Me XJ lives in a garage and I know it's different to your scenario but it has been leathered with more wax polish than an essex bird with fake tan and been left alone for 4 years and still come up trumps.

X.

 

[florette69]

Hamilton Classics are well worth a try. Even with a good breathable cover, regular waxing will be required as suggested above. I also use those cheap caravan damp absorbers in the boot and cabin, but those are probably an irrelevance if you're storing outdoors.