car covers
#18
04-25-2005 | 12:18 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,316
Likes: 1
Originally posted by Ford Lariat
Well excuse me for wanting to keep it debris-free!
Not my fault I don't have a garage. It IS brand new, and it IS deserving of some protection.
Well excuse me for wanting to keep it debris-free!
Not my fault I don't have a garage. It IS brand new, and it IS deserving of some protection.
its a car. there is no way to keep it debris free. as soon as you head out on the road you expose it to dust, gravel etc.
I appreciate why you want to keep it new, but the reality is it wont happen.
wish Mother Nature would back off when it comes to cars. 
#20
04-25-2005 | 02:22 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,424
Likes: 0
From: Motor City
Skip the cover and go buy a california duster or something similar to wipe off your car in the morning. If you keep up with the wax and detail spray, you'll have a smooth surface that wipes clean in seconds without a scratch and looks like it was just washed. Car covers are for long term garage storage of your classic ride that doesn't see rain, snow, or dirt in general. Like I said, it's your daily driver! You'll do more harm that good....
#22
04-25-2005 | 09:20 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 0
From: NH
As most have mentioned a car cover will do more damage to your paint then leaving the car uncovered. Unless the paint is nice and clean and the underneath of the cover is clean you can and most likely will introduce scratches in the paint.
Even if the cover fits nice and snug the wind will move it around. The wind will also blow dust (think of dust like very fine sandpaper) underneath the cover and since it fits nice and snug it will act like a sanding block.
I cover my truck in the garage for the winter but I wash and polish it first and the cover is clean. There is no wind to blow it around. I am very **** about my truck and I can tell you if I had to park it outside I would never think to cover it and I have a custom truck cover for it that fits very snug.
If you do decide to ever get a cover for it the one for an SVT Focus will fit yours. Your car, like my daughters is a 3-door hatchback. That is the same model as the SVT, except motors and some interior, otherwise the body is the same.
I understand you are **** about your car and that is great but if you want to protect it properly never cover it outside and keep it polished/waxed on a regular basis. If it gets bird crap or sap on it then clean that off as soon as possible. The polish/wax will provide “some” protection against bird crap and sap but not very long.
Bird crap is the worst and the best way to remove it is to take either some paper towels or a towel and wet it. Let it sit on the bird crap so it gets moist. I know that sounds gross but you DO NOT want to try and wipe it off, and especially if it is dry because that could scratch your paint.
Another thing to help protect the interior is some type of sunshield for the front window. That will help keep temperatures down inside as well as greatly reduce any fading of the fabric and especially the black dash. Buy a good one, not the cheap cardboard ones. The better ones have that silver stuff that faces out which helps to reflect the heat away from the interior.
Also, if you do cover it you don’t need to make a hole for the antenna. Just unscrew it and it comes right off. A word of warning, if you take it to a touchless car wash with the overhead air blowers take OFF the antenna as the high powered air blowers will blow it into the roof.
First time I took my daughters through a touchless car wash I found this out. After the air blowers passed by the first time I opened the sun roof just enough to get my hand through to hold the antenna for when the air blowers came back. Since then I dawn washed it, Zaino car washed it and proceeded to put 3 coats of Zaino on it…
Even if the cover fits nice and snug the wind will move it around. The wind will also blow dust (think of dust like very fine sandpaper) underneath the cover and since it fits nice and snug it will act like a sanding block.
I cover my truck in the garage for the winter but I wash and polish it first and the cover is clean. There is no wind to blow it around. I am very **** about my truck and I can tell you if I had to park it outside I would never think to cover it and I have a custom truck cover for it that fits very snug.
If you do decide to ever get a cover for it the one for an SVT Focus will fit yours. Your car, like my daughters is a 3-door hatchback. That is the same model as the SVT, except motors and some interior, otherwise the body is the same.
I understand you are **** about your car and that is great but if you want to protect it properly never cover it outside and keep it polished/waxed on a regular basis. If it gets bird crap or sap on it then clean that off as soon as possible. The polish/wax will provide “some” protection against bird crap and sap but not very long.
Bird crap is the worst and the best way to remove it is to take either some paper towels or a towel and wet it. Let it sit on the bird crap so it gets moist. I know that sounds gross but you DO NOT want to try and wipe it off, and especially if it is dry because that could scratch your paint.
Another thing to help protect the interior is some type of sunshield for the front window. That will help keep temperatures down inside as well as greatly reduce any fading of the fabric and especially the black dash. Buy a good one, not the cheap cardboard ones. The better ones have that silver stuff that faces out which helps to reflect the heat away from the interior.
Also, if you do cover it you don’t need to make a hole for the antenna. Just unscrew it and it comes right off. A word of warning, if you take it to a touchless car wash with the overhead air blowers take OFF the antenna as the high powered air blowers will blow it into the roof.
First time I took my daughters through a touchless car wash I found this out. After the air blowers passed by the first time I opened the sun roof just enough to get my hand through to hold the antenna for when the air blowers came back. Since then I dawn washed it, Zaino car washed it and proceeded to put 3 coats of Zaino on it…
Last edited by 01 XLT Sport; 04-25-2005 at 09:23 PM.
#23
04-25-2005 | 09:40 PM
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
Originally posted by 01 XLT Sport
As most have mentioned a car cover will do more damage to your paint then leaving the car uncovered. Unless the paint is nice and clean and the underneath of the cover is clean you can and most likely will introduce scratches in the paint.
Even if the cover fits nice and snug the wind will move it around. The wind will also blow dust (think of dust like very fine sandpaper) underneath the cover and since it fits nice and snug it will act like a sanding block.
I cover my truck in the garage for the winter but I wash and polish it first and the cover is clean. There is no wind to blow it around. I am very **** about my truck and I can tell you if I had to park it outside I would never think to cover it and I have a custom truck cover for it that fits very snug.
If you do decide to ever get a cover for it the one for an SVT Focus will fit yours. Your car, like my daughters is a 3-door hatchback. That is the same model as the SVT, except motors and some interior, otherwise the body is the same.
I understand you are **** about your car and that is great but if you want to protect it properly never cover it outside and keep it polished/waxed on a regular basis. If it gets bird crap or sap on it then clean that off as soon as possible. The polish/wax will provide “some” protection against bird crap and sap but not very long.
Bird crap is the worst and the best way to remove it is to take either some paper towels or a towel and wet it. Let it sit on the bird crap so it gets moist. I know that sounds gross but you DO NOT want to try and wipe it off, and especially if it is dry because that could scratch your paint.
Another thing to help protect the interior is some type of sunshield for the front window. That will help keep temperatures down inside as well as greatly reduce any fading of the fabric and especially the black dash. Buy a good one, not the cheap cardboard ones. The better ones have that silver stuff that faces out which helps to reflect the heat away from the interior.
Also, if you do cover it you don’t need to make a hole for the antenna. Just unscrew it and it comes right off. A word of warning, if you take it to a touchless car wash with the overhead air blowers take OFF the antenna as the high powered air blowers will blow it into the roof.
First time I took my daughters through a touchless car wash I found this out. After the air blowers passed by the first time I opened the sun roof just enough to get my hand through to hold the antenna for when the air blowers came back. Since then I dawn washed it, Zaino car washed it and proceeded to put 3 coats of Zaino on it…
As most have mentioned a car cover will do more damage to your paint then leaving the car uncovered. Unless the paint is nice and clean and the underneath of the cover is clean you can and most likely will introduce scratches in the paint.
Even if the cover fits nice and snug the wind will move it around. The wind will also blow dust (think of dust like very fine sandpaper) underneath the cover and since it fits nice and snug it will act like a sanding block.
I cover my truck in the garage for the winter but I wash and polish it first and the cover is clean. There is no wind to blow it around. I am very **** about my truck and I can tell you if I had to park it outside I would never think to cover it and I have a custom truck cover for it that fits very snug.
If you do decide to ever get a cover for it the one for an SVT Focus will fit yours. Your car, like my daughters is a 3-door hatchback. That is the same model as the SVT, except motors and some interior, otherwise the body is the same.
I understand you are **** about your car and that is great but if you want to protect it properly never cover it outside and keep it polished/waxed on a regular basis. If it gets bird crap or sap on it then clean that off as soon as possible. The polish/wax will provide “some” protection against bird crap and sap but not very long.
Bird crap is the worst and the best way to remove it is to take either some paper towels or a towel and wet it. Let it sit on the bird crap so it gets moist. I know that sounds gross but you DO NOT want to try and wipe it off, and especially if it is dry because that could scratch your paint.
Another thing to help protect the interior is some type of sunshield for the front window. That will help keep temperatures down inside as well as greatly reduce any fading of the fabric and especially the black dash. Buy a good one, not the cheap cardboard ones. The better ones have that silver stuff that faces out which helps to reflect the heat away from the interior.
Also, if you do cover it you don’t need to make a hole for the antenna. Just unscrew it and it comes right off. A word of warning, if you take it to a touchless car wash with the overhead air blowers take OFF the antenna as the high powered air blowers will blow it into the roof.
First time I took my daughters through a touchless car wash I found this out. After the air blowers passed by the first time I opened the sun roof just enough to get my hand through to hold the antenna for when the air blowers came back. Since then I dawn washed it, Zaino car washed it and proceeded to put 3 coats of Zaino on it…
There was some bird crap on my windshield this morning, I could only remove it with my spit on a tissue. And there was some more on the windshield when I got home. Removed that with a wet paper towel. Oh yeah, at school today a bird pooped on my bookbag. LOL! I guess we all are getting a ......well I don't wanna say taste...of it. lol
#24
04-25-2005 | 09:47 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 0
From: NH
Ok, I am going to pass on some of my **** methods to you so keep these a secret…
I always have a California duster in my truck. I also always have a Microfiber towel and some paper towels. I also have a bottle of detail spray that I keep in a plastic bag (so it doesn’t leak out by accident).
Now, if a bird craps on my truck and it has some dust on it and the bird crap is dry I dust that spot with the California duster to clean the dust away. I then take some paper towels and get them wet with the detail spray to, well lets say get the bird crap ready for removal.
Once I remove the majority or all the bird crap I then spray some detail spray on the area that had the bird crap…
You could also use the detail spray if needed to clean it off your window or just carry a bottle of window cleaner. Hey that’s why you car has a truck in it anyway right?
I always have a California duster in my truck. I also always have a Microfiber towel and some paper towels. I also have a bottle of detail spray that I keep in a plastic bag (so it doesn’t leak out by accident).
Now, if a bird craps on my truck and it has some dust on it and the bird crap is dry I dust that spot with the California duster to clean the dust away. I then take some paper towels and get them wet with the detail spray to, well lets say get the bird crap ready for removal.
Once I remove the majority or all the bird crap I then spray some detail spray on the area that had the bird crap…
You could also use the detail spray if needed to clean it off your window or just carry a bottle of window cleaner. Hey that’s why you car has a truck in it anyway right?
#27
10-10-2008 | 10:55 PM
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I don't know how old it is, but I've had it for a while. Few years at least. The material is not that soft-feeling. It's got elastic bands (of course). It's kinda, big, cause it doesn't fit that snugly over the car... I mean it covers everything, just not, fittingly, if you know what I mean?
Now here's a Focus car cover for $200. It just seems expensive if you ask me? But I don't want to go polishing her, putting on the car covers, then getting MORE unwanted swirls.
The FC only says its for SVT Foci. I wonder if they sell ZX3 car covers. I've seen them online in other places, but then that opens up the story about which car covers are good and which ones aren't worth buying.
Now here's a Focus car cover for $200. It just seems expensive if you ask me? But I don't want to go polishing her, putting on the car covers, then getting MORE unwanted swirls.
The FC only says its for SVT Foci. I wonder if they sell ZX3 car covers. I've seen them online in other places, but then that opens up the story about which car covers are good and which ones aren't worth buying.