Should I cover my new car?

General Discussion
1

I just bought a new Prius and we do not have a garage or covered parking. The car sits under trees in which birds often reside so poop is abundant as well as other tree droppings. I would like to buy a cover to protect the car, but my husband doesn’t want to have to take it on and off (I don’t mind). Any thoughts?

2

If you HAVE to park under a tree, I would go with a cover. Otherwise no cover is better. Covers move around in the wind and will take the shine of your nice new paint.

Tree sap and bird droppings are very bad for the finish. The choice is yours.

3

Have you thought about installing a lightweight carport? They sell in my area for $695 installed. They can be easily removed when you move or leave it for the next tenant/homeowner. It sure beats using a car cover which can damage your paint and some will cause excess condensation under the cover.

4

Cut the tree down :slight_smile:

5

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I had no idea that covers could actually dull the paint. As far as cutting down the tree, it’s a 75 year-old oak that is technically in our neighbor’s yard and I love it, so unfortunately, that is not an option. :slight_smile: I appreciate the laugh though.

6

Sure, cover it. Personally, I’d drive an older used car rather than a new Prius and spend the savings on a garage or carport. But, that’s just me.

Twotone

7

If they let you erect one of those tent carports, that would be ideal. No tree sap, no bird droppings, and no paint damage. And no scraping snow off the windshield. Sounds like a winner.

8

You’ll get really tired of taking the cover off every time you want to use the car, and then covering it up again when you’re done. The cover will end up folded on a shelf somewhere, like mine is.

Just wash the car when it needs it. Or park it elsewhere.

9

If you insist on a car cover, at least get a high quality one. The breathable fabric covers will do the least damage to the finish.

I have one for my 93 Caprice, but it’s only driven once every week or so. Taking a cover on and off a daily driver will get old quick and the fabric covers are bulky and take up a lot of space.

Consider maintaining an good coat of wax on the car and keeping a bottle of spray Detailer and a soft cloth in the car to clean off the poop as it happens.

http://www.meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?sectionname=Consumer%20(Meguiar's%20Brand)>Auto%20Paint%20Care>Car%20Maintenance&sectionID=11601

Ed B.

10

Hi Ed,
I think washing and waxing may be what I end up doing. Can you recommend a good brand of spray and wax?
Thank you!

11

I have been using Meguiar’s Cleaner Wax for 25 years. I’ve tried other waxes, but I always come back to this. It’s good at removing small scratches and scuff marks too.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+A1216

I use Meguiar’s Quik Detailer to touch up the top of a car between wax jobs.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+QUIK+32

I’ve heard good things about Turtle Wax Ice. I picked up the Liquid wax and the Spray Detailer at a discount store and will try them out on my 2010 Cobalt.

The Liquid wax goes on very easy and has a good shine. Wax the car 2 or 3 times a year and clean off the bird poop as soon as possible and the car should hold up. I also wax the top of a car between full wax jobs. The top of the car takes more of a beating than the sides.

Ed B.

12

How about one of these? http://canopyhut.com/canopies-1/carports.html

One of these might satisfy both you and your husband.

13

How about Wax??? Wax does a great job in protecting a cars finish from bird droppings.