Car covers and cleaning in the winter

[sammyturbo]

So does anyone use there clio as a daily drive and put it under a car cover every night ? is it worth it ?

Also if your using it as a daily drive how often do you clean it ?

 

[RobShaw]

My Clio is a daily drive for me, although I do try and not drive it as much as possible (If a friend can drive, then id rather go with them, etc..)

I personally think the cover is a hard call. The way I see it (Im probably wrong), is that if the car is dirty, and left outside at night with a cover on, the wind could start shifting the dirt and stuff around the car leaving possible marks in the paint work. I personally think that in this weather, and the state that your car will get in, its best to leave it without any covers.

I clean my every two weeks without fail. I polish it every 2 months, because I understand that too much polish isn't a good idea. Polish removes paint at the end of the day. You can get some ultra fine polish which would remove very little, but only polish when you really need too.

I noticed you wrote in your last post that you have just got back from getting it cleaned. Not sure if you took it to a proper cleaning place or a garage car wahs, but steer well clear of Garage Carwashes, it will cause horrible swirls in your paint, especially on Illiad blue. It might seem like an easy clean, but it causes damage. (

 

[sammyturbo]

No it was a hand car wash they use woolen glove things not sponges and dry the car and inside the doors, boot etc.. clean the windows outside and black your tyres too for £5 !! I too am trying too play the " can we not use your car " trick as well from now on !! i will try that polishing tip got some super resin polish ( auto glym ) any one used this ??

 

[Anonymous]

Hi...

I dont have a Garage so the option for me was to get a good quality car cover. I went for the storm force for £140 which has a cover designed to fit the clioV6. I have been impresed with it and the fit is good with securing straps that go underneath the car.
The cover has 4 layers and is totaly waterproof, the fourth layer is soft as not to scratch the paint...... That said you dont want to cover the car if it is dirty, needs to be washed really before you put the cover on.

The olny thing is you have to remove the airel as that has not got a pouch added like the ones for the wing mirrors.

Great for this time of year when the weather is crap and if hail/snow decieds to show up...


Blat...

 

[scrabble]

I just think a car cover traps moisture between the covers and the bodywork due to condensation from sunny warm days to freezing. I had one for my motorbike and the thing just didnt breathe and perm had a layer of water over the bike.

Maybe not a good idea?

 

[looch]

Mine is my daily drive (although it doesnt get used every day) I dont have a cover and wash it weekly using AG body shampoo and conditioner. I polish it every couple of months and wax it when i get chance (which is not enough at present) I hate it being dirty, especially this time of year with all the salt on the road. [smilie=icon_santa.gif]

 

[peter r]

cant see the point of a car cover when you are using the car daily , i only use mine on the supra , when im not using it and after ive cleaned it , mine is breatheable , think about it after two or three days grime you put the cover on and all it will do particularly if its windy will damage the paint .
on to cleaning , have a look at the duragloss range , i use these products on a daily basis , they are easy to use unlike AG , doesnt matter what temp you are using them in .
duragloss 111 is a great polish / sealant couple of coats of that will be fine , plus you can put any wax you like on top of it for a bit of bling later .
i know you said the hand wash was only a fiver , do it yourself and save all that money for some decent care care products far more rewarding in the long run .
check out janelles vee for the results of the above products , but i did machine it first