High Quality Auto Covers

A few years ago I did what I consider to be a really good job restoring a 1964 Chevrolet Corvan Camper back to its original condition. While I didn’t make a trailer queen of the van, I did try to make it look like it did when it rolled off the assembly line. 

Lately, however, the van’s been sitting outside and with winter closing in on us, I am really upset to watch it get rained on and sit in outdoor lousy weather. My inclination was that a good quality car cover would be the right choice for now, until I can empty enough garage space so that I can park the van indoors again. 

Part of my shopping diligence was looking for car covers and I unearthed a lot more than I would have expected on the Internet. I figured all auto covers were somewhat similar which is totally not the case. 

Outdoor Car Covers

The covers I think most people associate with auto protection are outdoor car covers. A new car paint job can run from several hundred to many thousands of dollars with newer cars featuring beautiful multi-stage paint jobs. 

Among other things birds, tree sap, sticks, flying debris and careless others can all wreak havoc on your car’s paint. While the most obvious buyers of car covers might be those who have valuable historic vehicles, people with the average new car might also consider a cover as a vehicle that looks beautiful when you go to sell it will actually have more value to the prospective buyer than one that looks like, well, it sat outside all its life. 

In addition to protecting the paint and finish on a vehicle, car covers also take the abuse from the sun, rain, snow and other elements so that the vehicle’s interior doesn’t have to. 

A variety of materials are available from car cover manufacturers but one of those that might be familiar to many people is DuPont Tyvek. This is a similar material to those FedEx envelopes that you can’t open without a healthy amount of dynamite and they protect your shipments just as they would your vehicle. However, the Tyvek material used in car covers is different in that is has other properties that help make it more resistant to weather and more friendly to your car’s finish. 

Indoor Car Covers

I know what you’re thinking - if the car’s in a garage, why put a cover on it? Believe it or not, your car, truck, van, station wagon, or SUV is almost as vulnerable to damage when it is parked indoors as when it is parked outside. As it sits under a roof in a garage or storage facility, your car collects dust and dirt, which can become abrasive when they sit on the delicate layer of paint on your car, causing tiny scratches; and between their hair, their nails, and their bathroom habits, your pets and other animals that may hide out in your garage or storage area may damage your vehicle as well. To protect your indoor protection for your car, truck, station wagon, van, or SUV from potential damage indoors, you can shield it with an indoor car cover. 

In Summary

Funny thing is - I might also be doing the neighborhood a service. While I’m a huge fan of Corvairs and all things strange, covering my van was appreciated by at least one neighbor (jerk). So, I guess I’m not only protecting my car from the elements, but I’m protecting my neighbors (and their kids!) from my car. 

When shopping for a cover for a car that will be stored indoors, weather protection isn’t as important and you might look for a softer cover that is designed for indoor use. There are other covers better suited for outdoor use. Either way, it’s good to get the right auto cover for your application. 

The irony of my garage, like so many others, is that it’s cluttered with a bunch of stuff that, collectively, aren’t worth what I paid to paint the van. But you also gain a certain degree of attachment to this stuff so I’m slowly donating various pieces to charity or selling them through various means. In the mean time, my car cover is doing serious duty keeping the thing as close to perfect as possible. And, here’s a bunch of pictures of the van I’ve been talking about: