Donne Trav

How many of you use your CAR COVER for upcoming snow storms?
Would you advise the use of a cover. What might be the PLUSES & OR
MINUSES? THANKS

bogus

there is no downside. the storm you are scheduled for has ice in the forecast. I would put the cover on. This will mean you won't have to chip or wait for a thaw... pull the cover, the ice should just break right off.

It also allows you to sweep the snow off the cover with a broom without risk of damaging the paint surface.

Cover that sucker when you get home from work tomorrow.

The cover will also keep cold drafts from slamming the radiator. This might cut down on freeze problems under the hood.

RtStuf

Let me understand? Protect or not protect - is that the question?

Red Tornado

just watch out that the cover won't scratch up your paint during heavy winds, and the scratching that can occur while putting it on and taking it off.

bogus

protect it. the scratching risks that hot rod 90 are real, but only with a cheap cover.

I think scratching is minor compared to the potential problems that ice can bring.

MyOtherCar

Huh??? Let's use a little common sense here. Light fluffy snow = ok for a cover, but really, why bother?? It is really only water. Wet snow, not so okay for a cover. The cover will get wet and freeze (adhere) to the vehicle.

And this: "The cover will also keep cold drafts from slamming the radiator. This might cut down on freeze problems under the hood." How a cold draft is going to slam a radiator and cause damage is beyond my scope of understanding. And freeze problems under the hood?, how is a cover going to prevent anything like that. What I know about the cold is that it permeates the entire vehicle and makes it cold all over, and under.

bogus

hm. what part of "Ice Storm" did you miss?

Snow is heavy, SMC is stout, but add some ice, it gets real heavy and it could hurt the SMC. I regularly use a large push broom to remove heavy snow from my Vette (when I lived in Delaware).

The cover does keep a layer of something between the paint and the snow.

Most covers go down under the front rather far, enough to act as a brake against a cold wind.

I have used my old cover during heavy storms in the past, and would do it again.

Mr Mojo

Same reason not to use a cover if you ever trailer a car, the wind will whip the paint right off with the cover.

If you buy a form fitting cover, using it with a lock will help prevent(not totally) the cover from whipping around in the wind.
Do not use a generic one size fits all cover, I did and two things, it doesn't fit right and the sun beat the hell out of it, lasted maybe a month.

I have two Noah covers(one for each car obviously) but never use them because you shouldn't put a car cover on a dirty car and since it's too damn cold to wash my cars, they stay dirty. Besides it's too much trouble to remove the cover everyday anyway.

CentralCoaster

I would cover it for a really cold snow storm, but not in a wet snow or freezing rain. My experience with my last car I kept covered, is if it got soaked and froze, the cover would freeze to the paint and eventually damaged the cover fabric. Plus you can't remove the cover without breaking it.. kind of a non-issue with the vette since ice will always freeze the doors shut anyways.

It won't scratch your car as long as the cover and paint are clean. (Don't ever put a cover on a dirty car, or the cover will get dirty.)


I have a Noah cover for my vette and don't use it anymore, but it's elastic on bottom and fits like a glove, plus it covers the wheels from cat ****, and of course tie it down tight.

James in MD

I use my Noah covers all of the time on all of my vehicles, inside and out. A body shop owner told me years ago that using a good cover on a car kept outside goes a long, long way towards preserving the finish on the car. It doesn't take me much more that a minute or so to put the cover on or off. I start at the back and roll the cover forward to front. Putting it on is easy as well. Hook the cover on starting at the mirror pockets and roll it out. Just make sure you don't use a cover on a dirty car. I also wash my covers once year at a commercial laundromat, using machine w/o agitators.

SK.LT1

shakedown067

I always put my cover on. During the florida hurricane bash of 2005 I put the cover on and strapped it down with the eye holes to keep it tight for each of the four hurricanes. It at least keeps the minor debri off and if you can keep it tight, the paint should be good. I do try to give it a good wax before and after though...boy I must have looked weird waxing my vette two days before the hurricane, but it does help keep the cover from scratching.

RandyJ75

My car sends some of the winter outside, and I use a cover. If your car gets a coating of ice on it, the ice can scratch the paint as it slides off. I always use my cover in the summer months as well, as anything you do to protect your paint from the sun is very good for your car.

AORoads

Having watched my covers blow off and drift around the neighb, I feel somewhat (stupidly) qualified to speak on the issue. Yes, use it as said above if the car is clean and if the cover is, too.

But, make sure it is the form fitting. And yes, there are expensive covers that scratch brand new, and don't work either (CoverKing, comes to mind; see thread in C6 Gen.$ 340+/-).

Also, while Mr. Mojo is correct, the lock and cable will help keep it from blowing off, do one more thing. Tie a piece of string to one of the eyelets, then string it betw. the two eyelets by throwing it under the car attached to one end of the cable. Then, cinch it tight so the cover is pulled tight along the bottom and tie it up thru the eyelet. You can do this in addition to the cable; I did for years. I also twisted one end of the cable in a couple of small circles to pull it tighter under the car as an added precaution.

Reason? Eventually the elastic around the front back and sides weakens. As it does, wind blows under the cover and will eventually billow it up and out. I do know from experience and actually watching it happen once. Only once. The more the cover billows and bounces around on the car, the more the chance for scratching even if it's the softest material going.

Lastly, yes, it might ice and freeze a bit, but generally it won't stick to the the paint. Let it all thaw, naturally. I've brushed off the snow very lightly, and even scraped the cover. Not a good idea. Probably took two years of life off the cover, an Evolution (no, not a Mitsu....). Just let any snow or ice left melt naturally.

Hope this helps you.

65Z01

I bought a Noah cover for my '88 the 1st winter and, for those reasons and the wind issue, I have not yet installed it.

86_RedRider

the first year i had my car, it spent the winter outside. since i wasn't driving it, i had the advantage of cleaning it right before i put the cover on. if you car is not clean, I wouldn't cover it. I have a NOAH cover and I also used a plastic tarp for when we were expecting lots of snow. After it was done snowing, I brushed off the snow and removed the tarp so that it wouldn't trap moisture. This helped save the cover and the car.

moore299

Impala Balko

I say cover it for the snow storm. I cover my cars all winter long because A. i dont have a garage and i dont want the snow on the paint and my neighbor hood has cats that love to use my cars as beds. So anytime my cars are parked for any extended period of time the covers are definately on.

Chewch87

If I did not have a Garage.....and a snow storm was on the way....and I had a cover...I would use it. Just make sure you have it fitted correctly and locked so it wont blow off. Of course its a Corvette so that rules out placing a brick on top of either end like some retards do. Also it would help to make sure she is good and clean before putting the cover on. It can't hurt. Hell I cover mine even inside the Garage!!!!

J1corvette

I don't have a garage so I figure a cover is the next best thing. I have a good quality cover and keep it tied down so it won't blow around too much. When it snows I clean off the car as soon as the storm is over to keep moisture from freezing and thawing. Yes you do have to keep the car clean, it's a little more work but heck if it was Summer I'd be out there fussing with it anyway. I like to drive it as much as I can in the Winter when the weather is decent. After all I think the boys at GM figured that since it is a car it might just live outside and be driven.