Marks left by outdoor car cover

I would never use a cover outdoors ever. They cause more damage than they prevent. Moving around on the surface and trapping rain water and dew underneath is major trouble. A short time outside exposed to the elements for a car is no problem. Covers are for indoor use only.

 

Don't worry about rain. Your cars finish will thank you for not using a cover. There is just too much abrating of your cars surface with a cover and moisture always gets between it and your car. If your still concered about rain just give the car a light wash between rain storms and start it to rid the motor of moisture if you can't take it for a drive. A better option for outdoor storage is the use of a windshield sun visor.

 

Car covers are not meant to be deployed in the rain. They will effectively "cook" the car's paintjob once the sun reappears. I guess you guys have never used old-style black fabric bras.

With the old bras, you must take them off if they get wet or your paintjob will be damaged when the sun combines heat with moisture and cause a reaction in the paint. It's very hard to repair.

At any rate, these cars should always be stored indoors if left for more than a few hours. Car covers are only for dust!!!

 

I agree, however, Ferraris are made with the same paint, aluminum, rubber, ect... as many other cars and contrary to popular belief will not dissolve if parked outside in the rain. Many owners in the UK have tested these cars in adverse weather conditions with positive results... so far anyways. LOL

 

Its just rain, it wont hurt the car.

Mine has been parked outside the last 3 months as I am too lazy to put it in the garage every night (daily driver), it gets pretty messy with the morning dew and did stay out for one day's rain. When I wash it and throw some polish on it, no one would ever know.

 

Yes, it's OK to get rained on. I don't mind driving in the rain so long as there is no mud or excessive dirt splashed on the car. Otherwise, water left on the car is usually minimal and the CCM brake rotors also don't rust like iron ones. However, if the car was parked outdoors for a while before it rained and collected dust/pollen before it got rained on the water spots from dried deposited minerals and dirt are harder to remove afterwards.

I always store my vehicles inside, even my old beat-up pickup truck. UV radiation dramatically reduces the life of tires, any rubber or plastic in your car. They look like crap if the vehicle is regularly parked outdoors. Your car will run much better and age at least 50% slower if you always park indoors in a dry, well-ventilated spot. Outdoor storage is bad for a vehicle.

 

It is indeed! Every minute spent outside is far worse than one inside. People just get carried away when talking about exposing them to the elements. A short stint of a week outside is nothing for these vehicles to handle and they are far better off with no cover when outside. Just don't do stupid stuff like park under a tree.

 

Also, no matter quality, outdoor covers can flop a little under higher winds causing rubbing and scratching on the paint. With the photo from OP, I think it is just condensation built up on top of the clear coat, it should come out when the paint gets some sun.

 

I drive mine outdoors every day hope its ok, And it does rain in northern
Italy. I even get the tires wet and use the wipers, hope I am not losing all
control.

 

Good luck come time to sell! Water spotting on paint? Used wipers? Let me guess you even opened the door while it was raining. I don't do this nomally but I'll take that wreck off your hands, that is if you pay the shipping of course.

 

Your comment about the bra leaving marks if not removed during rain is correct. But Bras are not waterproof or water resistant and must be removed or the clear coat will become cloudy. As for outdoor covers you have to make sure they are water proof and not water resistant. Water resistant will allow moisture to pass through causing a problem. The real problem with outdoor covers is wind damage. The flopping of the cover will severely damage your paint after awhile. It is important the cover have grommets so the cover can be tied down so it does not flap on the paint.

 

What about using an indoor cover underneath an outdoor cover?

 

...many posts about rain, and no mention of acid in rain... acid rain can be a problem on old finishes or aged finishes...
while
indoor cover under an outside cover... totally ridiculous, it just would add to the mess...no need to do it

a good outside cover should be water resistant, repelling the water while letting any moisture trapped under to breathe / evaporate through it when the weather goes dry... also it should not cling to the surface ( like plastic food wrap ) allowing for some air flow... a good cover should not be a problem used outside

 

I put my red factory car cover on before the waterproof breatheable cover. no scratches or problems using this method.

Best

 

Yup, I have used high quality (high quality being the operative words) car covers on a Jaguar and a pair of Infiniti's for years. Absolutely no adverse impact. The key is the cover has to be breathable.

 

What he said, plus bird droppings, yellow pollen spots, etc., will etch your paint.

Best thing is not to store any car that you care about outdoors.

If you're using a cover, wash it frequently and make sure your car is regularly waxed. If either car or cover isn't freshly cleaned, you'll notice abrading with trapped dirt particles, residue from the cover (which may be what the OP is seeing), etc.

I haven't used one in years. I remember having my 328 detailed in San Diego, loaded directly into a covered transporter and unloaded in Monterey for Concorso Italiano -- and the car had a thin layer of dust when it came off the truck. There's just no way of keeping a car clean enough for a cover outdoors.

 

I damaged red paint on a Porsche that was covered outside in Florida. I thought it would be better to have it covered outside because the sun is so intense, but trapped moisture plus heat creates serious issues.

I'm usually much more concerned about protecting from the sun than rain. I haven't seen rain cause any issues. Bird droppings, however, can be quite acidic and they will etch paint permanently if left unattended for a long time.