Car Covers What to buy, Need something to block the elements while I restore my car in a shade tree environment. Options

[Steve73]

Let me know what you all like. My car's exerior needs to be stripped so I'm not so worried about protecting the paint right now. I just want to keep out the weather so all the work on the floorboards won't be ruined by standing water coming through leaky seals in the body.

If you have an old one that looks bad but works contact me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I figure those should be replaced almost last in the rebuild process. After the paint and before the interior goes in.

Here is what Pelican Parts offers

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/coverk...ing_outdoor.htm

[JRust]

Spend a little more & get the portable garage/tent type setup. The type that can enclose it completely. Yet leave enough space around your car for you to come & go. Problem with a car cover is the moisture is still going to get into your car. With it spaced away from your car you cut down on that moisture quite a bit.

[ThePaintedMan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) If my landlord would have allowed one of those, its what I would have done. The only thing car covers do well is keep leaves and debris out. If anything, they INCREASE the amount of humidity and water that comes in contact with the car. If you keep it under a cover, take it off every time it rains and let it air out.

[Steve73]

Spend a little more & get the portable garage/tent type setup. The type that can enclose it completely. Yet leave enough space around your car for you to come & go. Problem with a car cover is the moisture is still going to get into your car. With it spaced away from your car you cut down on that moisture quite a bit.

Thanks I'm sure that would work but, I think they are incredibly UGLY. I live in a small but well kept up neighborhood, It's easy to see what is in the yards next door. My neighbor next door already has one of these for his new Z car and I hate it. It looks like I'm living near a refugee camp! I would rather build a nice looking carport than to go that way.

Good points about the covers. I'm thinking now I'll just a large tarp and weigh down the corners and the top when I'm not working on it. The paint has about 4 layers on it so it won't hurt it before I strip it. I would never have gotten a nice "exotic" like this but I found a fixer upper (or something to send me into the poor house) and I decided to go for it.

[ThePaintedMan]

Steve,
That sounds like a better plan to me. Thats sorta what I'm doing, since I have to work on it outside. FYI, the car cover I do have is a "Budge". They're relatively cheap from what I understand, but mine came with the car. Again, its more important you let it air out. No matter now nice the cover.

[JRust]

I don't see how that looks worse than a tarp (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) . The point of the cover is keeping the moisture out of your 914 right. Weighing down a tarp is going to be worse than just letting it sit out uncovered. A carport is another great way to go. It still is only as good as the enclosure around it.

[Steve73]

I don't see how that looks worse than a tarp (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) . The point of the cover is keeping the moisture out of your 914 right. Weighing down a tarp is going to be worse than just letting it sit out uncovered. A carport is another great way to go. It still is only as good as the enclosure around it.

Well the tarp would be temporary. After I fix it up I may sell it. I don't want to let it ruin being outside. I need to move and get a house with a 3 or 4 car garage is what I need to do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[JRust]

Well the tarp would be temporary. After I fix it up I may sell it. I don't want to let it ruin being outside. I need to move and get a house with a 3 or 4 car garage is what I need to do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

I hear you. Although I want a 3 car garage. Then a seperate 60x100 shop with multiple lifts. Not to mention a sectioned off area/booth for paint. Oh yeah & enough money to have some good mechanics to fix all the things I screw up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/evilgrin.gif)

[zymurgist]

I have a Coverking Stormproof cover. It does a good job keeping water out of the cockpit, front trunk, all the leaky places that fill up whenever it rains.

[Prospectfarms]

Keep the sides and corners of your tarp off the ground. The southeastern US has high octane humidity.

914 is non- galvanized, light gauge steel unibody car with spot, butt and flange welds in the chassis. Rust is/should be your biggest concern.

Nashville has 40+ inches of rain per year, high humidity, warm weather, etc. Cover something made from metal with a waterproof tarp, add a 20 degree temperature swing between day and night, and you will have made a water still.

"Breathable" machine covers do not work very well in Tn and Ky -- air is usually too humid for the principle of osmosis to encourage the water vapor to find it's way through the small pours in the "breathable" fabric.

AMHIK,


Stuart

[charliew]

I would not even attempt this in a high humidity area. You will be wasting your time. It's seems like you really don't have the money to start a project like this right now. You will actually have less productivity because once the car comes apart everything will be open to the elements. All a tarp will do is keep leaves out and moisture in. It sounds like it going to be on dirt instead of concrete. I think you will end up just selling parts but you can learn from that so go for it. I restored a old jeep once and while the body was in the shop I put the complete chassis outside with a tarp on it. One spring day I took the canvas tarp off it and noticed the transfer case seals were leaking. I took the top off the tranny and it was full of water. I spent all day trying to get the rusty look out of the lube and running the motor and tranny and axles through the gears with 30 wt oil in it to get it cleaned up. It came out ok but the gears had obvious stains from rust on them. There were no leaks in the top of the tranny or the transfer case it was from condensation. I never buy anything like a rearend or tranny that has set out in the weather without the body on it. Old tractors are perfect candidates for this also. Cast iron probably will sweat more than the 914 tub but it will still get moisture inside the unibody cavities unless they are already so rusted through that they can breathe and drain.

[Steve73]

I would not even attempt this in a high humidity area. You will be wasting your time. It's seems like you really don't have the money to start a project like this right now. ........

The issues on the humidity are well know here and the advice is well taken. While I don't have a ton of money budgeted for this project, I don't plan on making this car a concours car or do a body off restoration. This car is not cherry enough to be worthy of that kind of work. I don't have much invested in her right now and I could part her out for 3x what I paid for it now that the engine is running. I want to get my feet wet on 914's (and Porsches) with this project and that's what i'm doing. I think I'll end up doing all the paint and body work myself. I have a cousin who's turned a 914 into a 914-6 so I have some technical experience behind me. This site is very helpful too. I plan to work on a section at a time and prime and paint as I go. I have more time than money to work on this so this is a good project since it seems that the engine, transmission, electrical are in pretty good shape.

I have already preformed the same type of work on my 71 Bug so I have some experience with dealing with the hazards of a shade tree workshop.

Thanks for all the Great advice everyone, I and everyone else checking this thread out have gotten some great advice.

[Prospectfarms]

Tractors.... last winter I went to plow some snow with an old Ford I'd left outside for two months. Breather, air filter, exhaust, were all covered. "Spun a rod" when I tried to start it. After it got above freezing I drained the engine sump: a gallon water + a gallon oil poured out.

Maybe you can put up one of these. Tell the neighbors your having a party -- for a few months.  A_Easy_Up_Photo.pdf ( 51.28k ) Number of downloads: 143

[Elliot Cannon]

You can get de-humidifiers at boat supply places. Put one in the car, tie a cheap blue plastic tarp over it and it should be just fine. Youcan buy bags of desiccant silica get and throw them in the car as well. Google it.
Cheers, Elliot

[struckn]

You can get de-humidifiers at boat supply places. Put one in the car, tie a cheap blue plastic tarp over it and it should be just fine. Youcan buy bags of desiccant silica get and throw them in the car as well. Google it.
Cheers, Elliot

A string of 60W Light Bulbs actually works well also. Electricians use them with a tarp while storing Switchgear on Job Sites until ready to install.