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I purchased an inexpensive car cover for my 1956 4 dr hardtop, (aboout $80) and it doesnt fit. I can stretch to reach front to rear but it still leavea about a foot of body exposed.
Who has gotten one they are happy with?
I believe a 4 door sedan would be the same size.
I would like one that has elastic around bottome to draw under the body.
thanks for any info
Mike DeLapp
Mike,
I've owned my '55 Firedome for ~30 years. Shortly after I bought it, I purchased a custom fit cover from Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories. This was before Al Gore invented the internet, so I purchased by mail from their ad in Hemmings. I still have it and use it regularly. I've washed it at the local laundromat a few times and it has held up very well, although it is getting thin in spots. It fits like a glove; easy to get on and off but snug. It is used inside the garage only.
The biggest pain with a car cover is taking it on and off. Shortly after I bought the cover I also purchased a "car cover lift" which is nothing more than a series of clips with holes for nylon rope and a series of pulleys. You attach the clips to the car cover, run and tie the rope to the clips, attach pulleys and anchors to your garage ceiling and wall, and I can undo the cover within minutes and it stores above the car. The car cover lift never caught on, but I have found the replacement clips at Lowe's or Home Depot, and the remaining items can be found at any hardware store. Somewhere I have the original instructions for the car cover lift if you are interested.
Mark
We've got to get a car cover too.
The "tarp on - tarp off" process that we've employed so far has proved to be a less than classy method of water proofing a car.
I've also heard good things about California Car Covers.
We did get a well-fitting cover from Cover Craft for a modern car and it does what it is supposed to do, but I'm not sure how they would do with a vintage car.
I also have a Beverly Hills Motoring car cover. It is 100% cotton. I only use it in the garage. If these get wet and then dry out in the sun, they can cause the paint to become clouded. I had one for a 1987 Formula that I drove to work, so I know. It washes up well and helps with the dust to some extent. It was not cheap but are nicely made.
We finally bit the bullet and ordered a California Car Cover yesterday while at the big Street Rod Nationals here in Louisville. They said that they gave us a bit of a "show discount", and our total cost was $350.00 including tax/shipping. It seemed like a fair price for our giant, old car, but who knows?
The good news is that the company already has "over 4,000" patterns in their data base which includes many vintage cars, so a custom job is often not necessary. It's been my experience that most companies don't have many vintage car patterns at hand. The California Car Cover rep said they had patterns for all 1957 DeSoto models, as well as for all of the 1955 DeSoto models. I didn't ask about other models, as he seemed to be one busy fellow.
BTW...good omen? The California Car Cover Co. is located on DeSoto Ave. in Chatsworth, CA..
We got the "Superweave" type of cover, which is a very light weight, thin fabric that is waterproof, but it is supposed to breathe, and therefore not trap water/moisture which could risk damage to the paint. It can be used as a dust cover also. Our car is garaged, and we needed a cover mainly for waterproofing purposes while it is out and about in wet weather. The cover has an elastic bottom, as well as holes at the bottom where a bungee cord could be used under the car to better hold the cover in place. I liked the cover we chose as it seemed to fold into a fairly small size, and it seemed light enough for one person to place on and off of the car.
I'll post a review of this product after we've tested it for a while. We should have the cover within two to four weeks.
Your writeups on restorations are some of the best I have seen. Some folks on this website have a real good mastery of the English written language. People I work with can not write a clear emails like you all did.
As for the "Restored", this takes a little more time and thought. Refreshing.