M3 Car Covers. Suggestions please?

UA · 05-08-2011, 11:34 AM

I believe this is the correct forum, if not admins please move. TIA

I need a car cover for my M3 coupe but I don't need anything heavy duty. I work at an asphalt distribution facility and there is a fine dust of asphalt that is in the air whenever we load trucks, I get these tiny little black dots all over my car. Basically I need something like a shower cap to just throw over the top of the car whenever I am at work. The car is parked outdoors so the car will see some elements, I need a cover that can get wet and also stay on the car if it's windy out. This would go on my car 3-4 times a week, the interior fabric has to be safe for my paint. The quicker and easier to put on the car the better.

Any suggestions, please post. Thank you in advance.

Joonsup · 05-09-2011, 10:11 AM

I used to use the oem outdoor car cover from BMW a couple years ago but I noticed that the cover would create light scratches over time..especially near the bumper area so I stopped using the cover. The bmw covers use the noah fabric which I hear is supposed to be safe for your car's paint. A popular company that makes car covers is Covercraft. Depending on which cover you buy they can be pricey so check out the link and compare the different types of covers available according to your budget.

http://covercraft.com/outdoor_covers.htm

UA · 05-10-2011, 11:45 AM

Thank you Nick. That site has a lot of good information. I'm leaning towards the BMW car cover, I hear good things about the NOAH fabric from everyone. Surprisingly it's actually cheaper to get the BMW cover then it would be to get a NOAH cover elsewhere.

eclipsisNA · 05-11-2011, 02:07 PM

UA, I think you'd be doing more damage to your paint by using a cover. I've never seen a car cover not damage paint, and if you have tar deposits on your paint, dragging fabric over them will only make it worse.

If it were me, I would give the car a detail (decontaminate, then apply wax/sealant) and just let your car breathe at your work. When you feel there's too much tar on your car again, give it another detail. This is personal preference, and you have to ask yourself what you'd rather live with: scratches from a car cover, or tar deposits that can be removed fairly easily.

UA · 05-11-2011, 04:24 PM

Eclipsis, thank you for your input. The only thing that I'm not sure about is how easily these tar deposits can be removed. The longer the tar sits on the car it seems to leave a yellowish blemish that is extremely difficult to remove. I would have to professionally detail my car every 2 weeks to prevent the tar from settling in. I'm just not sure how easily it would be to remove the tar if I let it sit on the car for a while with just regular car washes in between.

05-08-2011, 11:34 AM	#1
UA ///M User 25 Rep 216 Posts Drives: 2011.5 M3 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (0)	M3 Car Covers. Suggestions please? I believe this is the correct forum, if not admins please move. TIA I need a car cover for my M3 coupe but I don't need anything heavy duty. I work at an asphalt distribution facility and there is a fine dust of asphalt that is in the air whenever we load trucks, I get these tiny little black dots all over my car. Basically I need something like a shower cap to just throw over the top of the car whenever I am at work. The car is parked outdoors so the car will see some elements, I need a cover that can get wet and also stay on the car if it's windy out. This would go on my car 3-4 times a week, the interior fabric has to be safe for my paint. The quicker and easier to put on the car the better. Any suggestions, please post. Thank you in advance.
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05-09-2011, 10:11 AM	#2
Joonsup Lieutenant General 322 Rep 17,316 Posts Drives: E92 M3, E30 325i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (8) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 [9.50]	I used to use the oem outdoor car cover from BMW a couple years ago but I noticed that the cover would create light scratches over time..especially near the bumper area so I stopped using the cover. The bmw covers use the noah fabric which I hear is supposed to be safe for your car's paint. A popular company that makes car covers is Covercraft. Depending on which cover you buy they can be pricey so check out the link and compare the different types of covers available according to your budget. http://covercraft.com/outdoor_covers.htm
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05-10-2011, 11:45 AM	#3
UA ///M User 25 Rep 216 Posts Drives: 2011.5 M3 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (0)	Thank you Nick. That site has a lot of good information. I'm leaning towards the BMW car cover, I hear good things about the NOAH fabric from everyone. Surprisingly it's actually cheaper to get the BMW cover then it would be to get a NOAH cover elsewhere.
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05-11-2011, 02:07 PM	#4
eclipsisNA Colonel 350 Rep 2,937 Posts Drives: 2013 Estoril 328i M Sport Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Beverly Hills, CA iTrader: (6) Garage List 2014 BMW 428i [7.76]	UA, I think you'd be doing more damage to your paint by using a cover. I've never seen a car cover not damage paint, and if you have tar deposits on your paint, dragging fabric over them will only make it worse. If it were me, I would give the car a detail (decontaminate, then apply wax/sealant) and just let your car breathe at your work. When you feel there's too much tar on your car again, give it another detail. This is personal preference, and you have to ask yourself what you'd rather live with: scratches from a car cover, or tar deposits that can be removed fairly easily.
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05-11-2011, 04:24 PM	#5
UA ///M User 25 Rep 216 Posts Drives: 2011.5 M3 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (0)	Eclipsis, thank you for your input. The only thing that I'm not sure about is how easily these tar deposits can be removed. The longer the tar sits on the car it seems to leave a yellowish blemish that is extremely difficult to remove. I would have to professionally detail my car every 2 weeks to prevent the tar from settling in. I'm just not sure how easily it would be to remove the tar if I let it sit on the car for a while with just regular car washes in between.
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