Technical car covering question

got a question guys, I read this morning that el nino thing is going to hit so cal with powerful storm after another like a conveyor belt of storms. storms are said to last from jan to march. gives me a month to have the car body painted completely, any other small parts I can paint under shelter. I don't want water getting on it and since itll be storm after storm the water wont get a chance to dry for a long time and I don't want it to settle and start to rot metal or affect new paint.

question is, being the car will be so newly painted I was planning to wrap it in thin plastic sheeting painters use, thin and flexible like a giant trash bag, then a good car cover over it. is that bad? itll keep the water from landing on it but will it be worse will it trap humidity under it? if I buy a good outdoor car cover and still wrap over it a waterproof tarp will it still be bad? trying to avoid any damage over the rainy season

 

I had a piece of plastic tarp on the trunk of a car in my yard years ago... ruined the paint within a couple of weeks. I'd get a real car cover.

 

I'll second that!
Real cover is the way to go.
Even so, wind will abrade the paint, as the cover buffets. All 4-corners of a Mustang I covered 2-Winters ago, were all dulled/scratched come Spring.

 

Plastic is a terrible idea, it rusts and rots everything. I almost ruined a new drill press by using the plastic bag it came in as a dust cover. Threw it away and used an old bed sheet, no more rust.

Safest would be to rent storage someplace in a good strong warehouse. Next best might be a portable garage but anchor it down so there is no mistake about it.

Leaving it uncovered would probably be less harmful than a car cover. Don't park under a tree .

 

Good advice above.
Those wild "el nino" predictions have at best a 50/50 chance as they are ignoring a host of other factors that are out there.
There is just as much chance it won't happen.

 

I ruined the paint on my 55 Crown Vic by doing exactly what you suggest. When I took the plastic off, little patches of paint came off with it. In my case, the plastic was on it in the summer and evidently the plastic got hot and stuck to the paint. But it never gets hot in Cali, does it?

 

Garage or carport.

 

If it is fresh paint anything on top with ruin it, find a friend with a garage and PAY then to have it in the garage for a few months.

It takes a time and heat to fully sure any paint. I would just primer it and hit it with a sealer you can scuff back.


Even the best of the car covers will get ruined with UV out in the sun. Nevermind having a freshly painted car under. Add bad weather to it...

Also no point in painting now, are you going to drive it in the winter to shows?

If you have some cash to burn do one of two things, build a great carport add soft sides to it like Jeep.

Or buy one of those bubbles you drive your car into and fill with air.

Being that your in Fontuckey- you have to know someone with a decent sized garage. Offer to clean and organized the garage in exchange storage of the car for a few month.

I got it!!! rent an enclosed garage space at a local storage place.

 

rent a garage.

 

Car covers are cheaper than a paint job. HRP

 

I live in so cal, I use a decent car cover then on top of that, either use a nice new tarp or thick black plastic sheeting over that for rain. Bungee or tie down to prevent wind from exposing. Been doing it for years whenever the little rain comes around. I only cover with plastic or tarp when rain is expected. Never all the time.

 

I learned the hard way , I put a car cover on and left the car outside...come spring time I had a million little pimples in the paint job. Back down to bare metal and start over.
I wish someone had told me so I`ll tell you

 

Rent a storage container for 100 bucks a month- indestructible and cheap insurance against damage. I've stored cars in them over the winter- Nov. till May- and had no problems; some people claim otherwise.
Handy as hell to "expand" your storage capabilities too- I had three of them stuffed with parts at one point!

 

At the least buy a 10 x 20 portable garage at tractor supply, Costco or similar. Don't use anything that has direct contact with the car.

 

A covered vehicle left outside will be damaged more than by not being covered at all by the elements.

 

XX2^^^^^^^^^This.

 

New paint has to breath to cure.If you seal it up with plastic you'll have solvent pops as well as delamination of the paint.

 

http://www.empirecovers.com/

I cover one of my leaky OTs over the winter. Not new paint but between December and March for the past three years it has been covered and it comes out fine. The covers are pretty heavy duty and allow evaporation so far so good. I think mine was $120 shipped.

 

Shipping container that is well ventilated ?

 

thanks guys, needed to know that. going to rent out a storage unit to house my cars I don't want to take that chance. the reason I had a feeling sealing the car with plastic wouldn't work is because if you look at most convertible project cars, the floors are always rotted completely and way more than hard tops. reason being is because they use rubber floor mats or rubber liners under the carpet, which traps moisture in and rots the car out. so I figured it would be the same effect/reaction if I wrapped my car in plastic lining, rain might stop between storms but ill have a greenhouse thing going under my car cover. wasn't sure but I'm sure now thanks guys. ill find a storage unit, a few 100 bucks for the 3 rainy months is way better than few thousand in time/labor and materials ive invested so far. thanks guys for your input

 

59apache thanks for the link, looking into those as well. I bought a "heavy duty extreme outdoor" car cover from auto zone, lasted 2 months before the sun dried it up and it started to come apart from the seams. luckily they have a warranty I'm taking it back but I was always told to look online specialty car cover suppliers

 

Good luck. That's the only safe way to go, inside a garage or storage unit.

 

On my car (1967 Impala SS) the painted reacted with the moisture that was trapped under the plastic and the sun baked the pattern of the folded plastic into the paint. It did not buff out...

 

If you activate your paint correctly, 1 good day to dry, rain will not affect the coating. Even a enamel with no hardener after 2 days will be ok.

 

This morning on my ATT/Yahoo homepage there's a story that says the experts are predicting one of the strongest, if not the strongest, El Nino events ever recorded this Winter.
I would forget about spending any money on covers of ANY KIND and get that project in a secure leakproof building with floors with vapor barriers under the floor.
If the car is in bare metal, and you don't have the time and place to get a coat of paint on it, then use a good metal prep on it per instructions. When I built my Brookville Roadster that I bought as a mocked up, uncompleted project, it had a one piece hood top (unpainted) with it. Since I hadn't decided whether to use it or not, I just metal prepped it and laid it on top of an old lathe that is in my shop waiting for restoration. Several years later, it's still there and has no rust on it., none at all. I used "Ospho" metal prep from Ace Hdw.
Primer is porous and no protection from moisture on stuff out in the weather.