Buying a Custom Car Cover

The NicoClub car cover resource guide has all the tips, hints and advice you’ll need to know when selecting the right car cover for your vehicle…

Why Buy A Custom-Fit Car Cover?

To help protect your investment and keep your vehicle looking show-room new. Keeping your vehicle covered with a car cover can:

Prevent unsightly dents, dings and scratches

Shield it against finish-destroying man-made and natural hazards

Act as an excellent theft deterrent

Put a barrier between your paint and damaging weather

Dents, Dings and Scratches

There’s a certain feeling you experience when you discover that first dent, ding or scratch on your new vehicle. Unfortunately, they’re a fact of life and nothing short of covering your vehicle with reactive tank armor will truly prevent them. However, using a car cover adds a layer of protective padding to cushion against runaway shopping carts, absent-minded car doors or other blows.

Birds

Birds, trees, dust. They certainly seem harmless enough, but without a car cover, they can inflict serious damage to your prized vehicle. Our fine feathered friends seem to have impeccable aim when it comes to leaving their droppings on our vehicles. Outdoor car covers catch bird bombs before they splatter against your paintjob. Plus, the majority of outdoor car cover fabrics are not harmed by the dropping’s acidity outdoor car cover fabrics.

Trees

The shady spot under a tree may look like a welcome spot to park your vehicle. However, with nuts, berries, sap, pollen, not to mention the roosting birds, parking under a tree can wreak havoc on your vehicle. A car cover can help keep your vehicle cool, even in the sun. Or, if you do park under a tree, a car cover can safeguard your vehicle from the onslaught.

Dust

Your vehicle’s paint is only about 0.006 inches thick. Whether indoors or out, when dust sits on your paint it turns abrasive and causes minute scratches. By the time you notice them, it’s already too late. Both indoor car cover fabrics and outdoor car cover fabrics are designed to keep dust away from the surface of your vehicle.

Theft Deterrent

Though it may only look like a thin layer of fabric, a car cover can do an amazing job at keeping thieves away from your vehicle. Since time is crucial in not getting caught, thieves often pass by covered vehicles, which take longer to get into, and go after easier prey. And, if you add a lock and cable to your car cover, you will not only keep your cover secure, but your vehicle becomes even harder to steal.

AutoAnything is one of the top online sellers of car covers and we personally recommend shopping for top quality covers at AutoAnything.com. They are a supporting vendor of the NicoClub and we have personally purchased car covers from them and had a great experience!

Damaging Weather Guide

You don’t have to be a meteorologist to know that harsh weather can do a number on your vehicle’s finish.

Rain

Tip: Use lighter colored car covers to reflect harsh sunlight. An occasional spring shower poses no real threat to your vehicle. However, seemingly harmless rain can find its way into tiny scratches or blemishes and start the corrosion process. And, acid rain—well, the name says it all. A water-resistant outdoor car cover will keep your vehicle$ high and dry.

Sunshine

Harsh UV (ultraviolet) rays and the intense radiant heat of the Sun can cook the color right out of your paint. A car cover is like sunscreen for your vehicle, blocking harmful UV light and preventing photo degradation. And, a lighter colored car cover will yield a reflective cooling effect.

Snow
It’s not the cold that gets to your vehicle’s finish—it’s the moisture and salt. These two corrosive cohorts are in cahoots to ravage your paint. Fortunately, a car cover can keep both these culprits away from your vehicle.

The fundamental advantages of custom-fit car covers
A custom-fit car cover is specially tailored to the lines of your vehicle. No detail is left unturned. Custom-fit car covers hug every contour of your vehicle. Plus, many of these made-to-measure car covers sport sewn-in mirror pockets and grommet holes for antennas.

On the other hand, low-quality universal-fit car covers are baggy and can slip, slide and rub against your paint, destroying your finish. Additionally, the poor fit allows the harsh elements to creep in at every gap and defeat the purpose of the cover.

The specialized cut of a custom-fit car cover is far and away the best choice to wrap up and protect your vehicle.

A guide to selecting the right car cover

When deciding which car cover is right for your vehicle, we advise that you consider:

Where you park and how often you use your vehicle

The weather in your area

What color is right for your vehicle and storage needs

Where You Park and How Often You Use Your vehicle

Where you park and how often you use your vehicle may be the most important factor in choosing your car cover. Whether it’s your daily commuter, your hot rod, classic cruiser or Sunday car, AutoAnything has a variety of car covers to suit your needs.

When you park outside and cover up every day, you may want to choose a lightweight outdoor car cover that’s simple to use and easy to fold. The lightest cover available is the Covercraft WeatherShield, and it folds up to about the size a football for easy storage in your trunk, backseat or storage bag.

For those who park in crowded lots or on streets with children at play and heavy pedestrian traffic, a thicker, heavyweight outdoor car cover that provides some dent and ding protection is best. Slip on a Noah car cover or Evolution car cover for a substantial defense against body blows.

If you garage your vehicle and frequently cover and uncover it, a lightweight indoor car cover is ideal. For an easy-to-wrangle cover, go with a Satin Stretch car cover or Dustop car cover.

Choose a heavier indoor car cover to keep your classic safe for long-term storage. Look into a Tan Flannel car cover or a Form Fit car cover for this parking situation.

A super-soft indoor car cover lets you pamper your “baby” and keep it safe and secure. Again, the Satin Stretch car cover and Tan Flannel car cover both caress your auto’s finish with downy protection.

The Weather in Your Area
Weather conditions in your areaThe ideal car cover for your vehicle is greatly influenced by your local weather. Many materials have been developed to deal with specific inclement weather conditions.

Rain

Rainy parts of the country like the Pacific Northwest and Deep South would demand an outdoor car cover with exceptional water resistance. For example, StormProof car covers and Noah car covers both deliver top-notch protection during even the nastiest storms.

Haze and Fog
The coastal areas along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico need a car cover that will protect from and last in salty air. The marine-grade Sunbrella car cover stands up against the briniest environments, and the WeatherShield HD car cover puts up a strong defense as well.

Bright Sun

In the sunniest zones of the country like the desert Southwest a car cover with extra UV and photo degradation protection and reflective properties makes the most sense. Sunbrella car covers block the most rays, and StormProof car covers strongly fend off the sun as well.