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Thread: garage rental or quality "outdoor" car cover?

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    garage rental or quality "outdoor" car cover?

    I considered posting this in the "Detail" section, but realized I'd probably get more traffic here...not to mention this isn't "detail" specific anyway.

    I've moved from my old house that had a garage to a location that does not. I have a mint euro converted E12 that's been garaged the whole time (never even sees rain) and I'm weighing my options as to what to do with the car. I'm debating on renting a small, one bay garage to keep the car in; or getting a good, quality outdoor cover to keep it at my new place. Normally this would be a pretty easy decision...garage. But I wanted to get some input/opinions. Firstly, the garage is obviously the better choice as far as storage in general, but it will obviously consist of rent that will be need to paid monthly. The cover would cost more initially, but be a one-time investment. Unfortunately the garage is located roughly 15 minutes away from where I'm living. Which means it'll be fairly inconvenient to take the car out on the spur of the moment on nice days. If it was covered here where I live, I could take it out anytime it's nice out.

    My question, other than getting some input/opinions in the first place, is how well can an outdoor car cover work? I know California Car Covers makes nice products, but I literally have zero experience on the topic. And what can be done about protecting the wheels from the elements (rain, sleet, hail, snow, etc.)? I'm very torn on what I should do with the car now. I'd LOVE the security and protection a garage offers, but would also LOVE not to have to pay rent on it as well as be able to drive the car at any moment when the weather is nice.


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    Get a garage if the car means a lot to you or is valuable. I have cars that were garaged their whole lives then I parked them outdoors under a cover for a few months and it started wearing very quickly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker View Post
    Get a garage if the car means a lot to you or is valuable. I have cars that were garaged their whole lives then I parked them outdoors under a cover for a few months and it started wearing very quickly.
    Thanks for the reply. Could you be a little more specific on what you mean by chance?

    - - - Updated - - -

    The car doesn't technically mean a lot or have a lot of value. But it's a nice car and I'd like to keep it that way.





    I just hate the inconvenience of it being parked that far away.
    Last edited by twastheglow; 07-31-2014 at 03:09 PM.


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    Well, if the car will be sitting for long periods you could see rodent nesting, less likely to happen in a garage. Only put a cover on a clean car, else the wind pushing the car cover around might scratch the surface. Car covers won't last forever, I have a motorcycle that I store outside and I have to buy a new cover every 3-4 years, eventually the elements wear it down.

    If you can afford it, I'd go the garage route unless you drive it often (more than once a week).
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    Quote Originally Posted by montaillou View Post
    Well, if the car will be sitting for long periods you could see rodent nesting, less likely to happen in a garage. Only put a cover on a clean car, else the wind pushing the car cover around might scratch the surface. Car covers won't last forever, I have a motorcycle that I store outside and I have to buy a new cover every 3-4 years, eventually the elements wear it down.

    If you can afford it, I'd go the garage route unless you drive it often (more than once a week).
    Thanks for the input. To be a bit more specific, this car is a "nice weather" car. It's driven in the spring, summer, and fall depending on the weather conditions. So during those months it's probably driven weekly; unless weather prohibits. The garage or cover will in all likelihood only be necessary for the next year or two as I plan on getting back into a place with a garage. I'm not terribly concerned with rodents due to the frequency the car is driven. The only period of time that will go by without it being driven is through winter.

    I get what you mean about the dirty car and the cover. But unfortunately (fortunately?) my OCD makes me wipe the car down before taking it out as well as when I park it, along with frequent washes. I also realize that's certainly no guarantee the car is "clean".
    Last edited by twastheglow; 07-31-2014 at 05:01 PM.


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    That is a gorgeous E12! Love the wheels.

    Those car tents or what ever suck in hail storms. Dont even bother if their is a risk of large hail in your areas. See if those secure storage locker places will be large enough and allow you to park a car in them. I have heard of people doing that before.
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by DEATH2000 View Post
    That is a gorgeous E12! Love the wheels.

    Those car tents or what ever suck in hail storms. Dont even bother if their is a risk of large hail in your areas. See if those secure storage locker places will be large enough and allow you to park a car in them. I have heard of people doing that before.
    Thank you. I appreciate it. Not too many left in good condition.

    Eh, hail isn't really a concern where I live. The storage lockers in the size I need are actually quite a bit more money than the garage space I can rent. It's just the distance/inconvenience that sucks. That was the only reason I was considering a cover. So I could actually drive it instead of having it locked up somewhere not terribly local to me. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't even consider leaving it outside. Unfortunately it looks like a garage is going to be the option that I'll have to pursue.


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