The 'E' Type Forum

Hi all,
Done a search of the forum but can't find anything.
Any recommendations on car covers? Do you use them? Have searched the internet and they seem all sorts of prices. Obviously I want the best for the lowest cost! :)
Any advice appreciated.

Hi Gareth,

Some people are for and some against. There have been a number of dicussions on the subject.
Try searching for cover indoor ans select search for all terms.

Here's one thread...

viewtopic.php?t=5556&highlight=cover+indoor

HTH,

thanks Neil, thought it would be somewhere.

Custom car covers in breathable fabric are very nice but can be expensive.

I bought a cheapie from Halfords. It's a good fit, waterproof, has elasticated ends and ties to keep it down in a howling gale, and it folds up into a bag for packing when touring.

In the garage, however, my car sleeps under loose covers just to keep the dust off.

I use a cover on a different Jag from "softgarage". Indoor or outdoor use, doesn't scratch, works well and not too expensive. Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/softgarage/b/r ... softgarage

bit worried now about the micro blistering reported on other discussions, especially as mine is coming back from a re-spray............

Hi Garath....just make sure you stay away from cotton....like an old bed sheet or cover made from it.....cotton will absorb moisture so in the winter months will feel damp....from my understanding micro blisters are mainly caused by poor conditions when respraying..get yourself a loose fit rather than a tight fitted cover

mgcjag wrote:Hi Garath....just make sure you stay away from cotton....like an old bed sheet or cover made from it.....cotton will absorb moisture so in the winter months will feel damp....from my understanding micro blisters are mainly caused by poor conditions when respraying..get yourself a loose fit rather than a tight fitted cover

Ah, ok thanks, will do.

Or there is carcoon. Basically a big tent inflated by air flow. Other than putting on it does not touch the paint and a gentle air flow over the car at all times. They do both indoor and outdoor versions. Comes with a battery mate type battery maintainer that also runs the carcoon air fans. I have no connection to carcoon btw.

I have had a lot of experience with car covers and cartoon type air bubbles. First off, are you concerned about scratches on your paint because the finish on your car is concours. If that is the case, buy an air bubble. Carcoon are the most widely known, but designed to rely on the fans to pump up the cover. The problem is that when you want your car out, you have to let the air out and fold the cover which inevitably ends up dragging the cover over the car with the inevitable scratches. I know from bitter experience! However, the Hamilton system, called Cair o Port, is a framed "tent" with zipped doors, allowing you to drive your car into it, zip up the door and switch on the fans. Access is easy without having to take off the bubble cover off every time. The humidity level stays below 60% which is about right. Car covers per se are fine as long as you are not constantly wanting to take it on and off. So, ok for winter storage when left for a period of time. There is no short cut with covers, because it has to be breathable. The best ones are fleece lined and fitted. The killer is not dust, but dampness and humidity. I am an architect and have designed some very elaborate museums for valuable car collections, so I understand the problem. Insulate your garage, install a de-humidifier, and keep it running with a hose (don't use the tank, it will fill too quickly). My new garage is timber framed, well insulated and lined with ply, two de-humidifiers, and a fitted fleece lined cover over the car for winter only.

Hi I have ben looking at this subject, as am looking for a similar situation.
I have probably decided the carcoon as mentioned and do understand the issue of uncovering and covering may cause some scratches. However they do a solution in the car coon range the Veloce Carcoon. It has a permanent rigid frame and you just drive the car in and out of it, just using side zipper door access. It seems to fit the bill for me and I will be going to look at one close up.
Cheers David

I bought a Carcoon Veloce and its works very well. No issues with any part of it coming into contact with car. Will also dry the car out if you are forced to put car to bed wet.

As an owner of both a Lancia and an E-type I feel I can speak with some authority when it comes to the matter of trying to keep the dreaded tinworm at bay.... :D

I hear all the arguments, but I think essentially all you really need do is bear in mind that clean, dry, painted metal rarely rusts all by its own. Damage tends to done by putting cars away wet - or with a coating of dirt or dust on the car. The dirt or dust has the capacity to act hygroscopically and clamp atmospheric moisture to the surface where it can then begin to go to work (and brake dust on your beautiful wheels is possibly the worst candidate as moisture presumably turns it either acid or caustic).

I've had my Lancia thirteen years. It's always slept in its garage au naturel, and the garage is a standard brick built affair with sealed concrete floor and metal door. It remains in concours condition.

The E-type is obviously a much more recent addition and is in effect a 'new' car having only finished its restoration two years ago. It sleeps under a lightweight dust cover (I'm still in two minds about this) and its garage is a standard brick built affair with metal door - this time with rubber floor tiles on the floor.

I'll live with a bit of dirt (temporarily! ), but neither car ever gets parked up wet: if they get caught in the rain they stay outside 'til they're dry. If the worst comes to the worst and they have to be garaged for security reasons, they're brought back out at the first opportunity to dry off properly.

The only other thing I do is control variations in ambient humidity (whilst watertight, both garages obviously 'breathe' outside air) with the old classic car enthusiasts' trick if leaving a piece of old carpet in the garage: this tends to act as something of a humidity 'damper' - drawing it in when levels are high, slowly releasing it back when the air is dry. I'm sure someone with a better understanding of science will be able to point out that there's no real rationale to this, but if you can keep a Lancia in perfect condition for 13 years I'd say the proof is somewhat in the pudding...

8)

Not quite Simon! A lot of what you say is true. But the real killer, as I have pointed out, is condensation, and not just what you see, but inside the box sections. Now, if your box sections are filled with wax oil or another treatment of similar ilk, this will assist in keeping your Lancia fine after 13 years! But the carpet idea is not good! It may absorb water, but when it dries out it releases it back into the atmosphere. That is why a de-humidifier answers that question. It releases the water outside the garage via a hose pipe. I am not about to go into a physics lesson on "dew points" but believe me, I have dealt with every aspect of keeping cars housed in appropriate buildings. I hope the !
Lancia stays rust free, but do invest in a de-humidifier, and if you really want to make a difference, dry line the walls, and insulate your garage doors. Metal is not a good idea!

Well both cars are fully waxoyled - and in the case of the Lancia I've had it checked and replenished every five years or so. The Lancia actually has an even worse condensation Achilles heel than any E-type - the inside of the rear roofline where just to add to the fun you've also got dissimilar metals joining together - but whether what I'm doing is 'textbook' or not, my 23 year old Lancia (13 years now in my ownership) has escaped this peril.

As a matter of interest, surely a certain, stable, level of humidity is desirable? I can maybe see the argument for sucking all the moisture out from a metals point of view, but cars are more than just metal and I would have thought that soft flexible parts and interior trim benefit from a certain amount of humidity?

I hear what you're saying about standard garages, but the carpet in mine never gets damp to the touch (its 'release' is probably more akin to the old trick of keeping an oily rag in the bottom of a grandfather clock), and I've also for many years kept a number of cardboard boxes at the back of the garage and they've never got damp or lost any sort of structural integrity.

I hear what you say, and certainly that will help. However, it is best to keep a consistent level of humidity such that the dew point is never reached. That way there is a level of moisture in the air but it will never get form condensation. Ie when the dew point is reached. You are correct that having too little moisture is bad and causes problem with interior materials particularly. Look at cars coming from hot climates, no rust but the interiors have not faired quite as well. By the way, I am looking for a nice Fulvia HF 1600. I had one in 1973, and rallied it! DCX 255L. Great car!

Simon P wrote:
As a matter of interest, surely a certain, stable, level of humidity is desirable? I can maybe see the argument for sucking all the moisture out from a metals point of view, but cars are more than just metal and I would have thought that soft flexible parts and interior trim benefit from a certain amount of humidity?

Stable humidity isn't desirable unless you can also provide stable temperature.

Simple solution and very inexpensive (compared to owning and running an E-Type) is to instal a de-humidifier in the garage. Mine is a small domestic unit with a hose pipe taking the condensate outside allowing it to run constantly during the winter months. It's cheaper than heating the garage. It removes up to 4 litres in 24 hours, but it will not ever dry the garage out completely. All it does is reduce humudity. It wont make leather brittle, and besides don't you feed your seats at least three times a week over the winter?

(Ok, that's just me, then.)

Barry wrote:By the way, I am looking for a nice Fulvia HF 1600. I had one in 1973, and rallied it! DCX 255L. Great car!

Wonderful cars. I had a 1.3s Rallye which I ran alongside the integrale for a couple of years before the E-type arrived. Much missed now....








Sadly, prices of HF 1600s have been going a bit silly for a while now. If you're genuinely on the lookout, these people are worth keeping an eye on http://www.targaflorioclassics.co.uk/ou ... 4591768415 - they haven't got one in at the moment but they do get some nice ones in from time to time. I can also keep an eye on the back pages of the Lancia club's monthly magazine for you if you like. It's also possibly worth having a word with John Day at Day & White's, Brands Hatch as he services quite a few and so gets to know when owners are thinking of selling.

Simon

Simon P wrote: I've also for many years kept a number of cardboard boxes at the back of the garage and they've never got damp or lost any sort of structural integrity.

To save garage space and avoid the hassle of maintaining this emergency accommodation, can I suggest a small white lie next time your wife asks "Does my bum look big in this?"

Jasper013 wrote:I bought a Carcoon Veloce and its works very well. No issues with any part of it coming into contact with car. Will also dry the car out if you are forced to put car to bed wet.

I've also had a Carcoon Veloce for a year or so and am very pleased with it. Easy to get in and out of and there's enough height to fully open the E-type's bonnet which is important I think. It also comes with a battery conditioner.

Although I can also vouch for Barry's de-humidfier method if the condition of my car when I bought it is anything to go by !