Car Covers: Are they worth it?

[rcl4668]

I'll be receiving my 2006 Viper in the next few days. My Dodge dealer suggested purchasing a car cover for about $300. This car will be stored on a four-post Rotary (Revolution) lift in an enclosed but non-climate controlled garage. It will also have a clearbra-type material applied to approximately 30-40 percent of the car, including the entire hood, front fascia, etc.

The only reason for me to get the cover is that my wife's cat has a penchant for climbing on any vehicle that has been freshly washed/waxed, with accompanying claw marks to show for it. (And no, take my word for it, much to my chagrin selling or accidentally "relocating" the cat is not an option.) I noticed this morning that the little bugger has already figured out how to use the adjacent cars as steps to jump on to the lift and use it as his own personal cat habitrail. AARRRRGGHH! I apologize in advance to any cat lovers out there but this animal just bugs the living **** out of me! At any rate, end of rant.

My only concern with the cover is that this car will not be a daily driver but will be driven a fair amount. Because of my schedule (work, kids, life), the car will not be detailed weekly or even monthly and will get fairly dirty at times. Can anyone address whether putting a car cover on this kind of car on a daily basis could do more harm than good? For example, by sliding a car cover over a dirty surface will it generate swirl marks/scratches. Will the cover seal in moisture etc.? If the cover has a flannel lining will it leave little "pills" or lint on the canvas covertible top?

Thanks for your thoughts.

/Rich

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

I bought a cover from PartsRack a few years ago and have only used it a few times. I won’t put it on unless I’ve just cleaned it and don’t plan on driving it for a well.
My brother has an NSX and two cats, that live in his garage. He’s very anal about his car so he keeps sheets and a blanket on his car at all times. Granted, he will also wash the car after every other drive, so it’s never very dirty. But I would be very concerned about your cat sharpening it’s claws on you convertible top as well:-( and by concerned, I mean for the cats life.
I assume getting rid of the wife and cat are not an option.


Chinese anyone?

 

[Art 138]

I use two large flannel sheets (thickness of baby blankets). The car cover supplied with the car is abrasive at best and I don't use it. I did buy a nylon conventional car cover which I use over the flannel sheets. Since we are in a humid climate, I bought large dessidex pouches which I leave in the trunk and passenger side respectively. My wife has cats too and this takes care of the problem.

 

[Bad_Byte]

Yeah, cats!

I just surround my car with mouse traps baited with tuna.

Think about it!

 

[VOI9 ASP]

If it is one of the blue with white 1st editions they come with a cover.

 

[rcl4668]

Actually the car is one of the blue SRT-10 convertibles with no stripe. As far as I am aware the car does not come with a car cover. I like an earlier poster's idea of flannel sheets. Just one concern: Do the flannel sheets leave any kind of lint or other residue on the canvas top? I am also assuming that the top is a canvas top impregnated with some sort of nylon or other plastic material as opposed to a true cloth/ragtop thatr you used to see on older european convertibles like Porsches, Triumphs, etc.

Thanks for the input!

/Rich

 

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

I use it when its clean and parked in the garage.
Great cover and worth the monies I spent.

 

[96GTS232]

cover car on lift,up for debate;cover clean car on floor in garage with girlfriend and 11 year old kid entering with overnight bags,priceless!!!!!

 

[Randy]

Yes, car covers are worth it, but not appropriate for all occasions. Notably, don't use them outside when windy, as the seams on even the best car covers will cause rub marks and scratches on even a perfectly clean car. Owners of black cars will want to be VERY careful in choosing and using a car cover. You normally won't want to use it unless the car is clean or very close to it.

With that said, I have a black Gen II RT/10 that I cover pretty much every day I drive it to work, unless its windy. I previously used the same cover for five years on my '95, again, every day I drove it to work, which was pretty much every day it didn't rain.

 

[Don]

I use indoor flannel car covers. (From Sun something company ~$150 ea.) Yes they leave a little lint on the car, but it blows right off the minute you get going down the road. Since my vehicles spend a fair amount of time in the garage, it keeps the dust off of them and allows me to spend less time waxing and more time driving. The dogs are not allowed in the garage and neither would a cat if I could stand them.

 

[Ron Hickey]

I've had good luck with the ultrasonic cat repellers keeping cats off my car parked on the carport. Why mess with a cover? Putting a cover on and taking it off frequently is going to be a pain in the butt, plus unless you dust the car before covering it, you're going to scratch it.

 

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

Get a Dustop car cover, no lint, softer than flannel.

 

[rcl4668]

Ron --

I feel a bit like a cave man asking this but what are these ultrasonic cat repellers of which you speak? Do you have a brand, company that you have used succesfully? Also, are there any models that would sonically vaporize the offending feline if they strayed into the garage? (That, of course, would be tragic and oh so wrong.) Thanks.

/Rich

 

[SRTRICKY]

I have a car cover on my car as well but I don't really think it needs it! My car cover only cost me about $75 and I'm sure it does the trick just as well. Its not like the dust will creep up the sides and onto the top of your car!

 

[Ron Hickey]

Here's the unit I have:

YardContro Electronic Yard Fence

I *wish* there was something that would vaporize the neighborhood cats, but no one's come out with something like that yet. The only drawback is that you will have to keep feeding this device D-cell batteries, unless you contact the manufacturer and get them to supply a power supply. Smarthome.com also sells a cat repeller, which is a little cheaper, but its range is somewhat limited.

 

[rcl4668]

Ron --

Thanks for the link.

/Rich