As some of you know I am moving cross country. As I plan for the move I am looking into ways of protecting my paint while the MINI is on a trailer. I was thinking about taping the whole car with painters tape, but if it rains that could be a mess. Also, with the move I am lossing my garage. I will have covered parking, but the idea of a car cover is becoming more appealing because of the added protection from the weather and peering eyes. Would a car cover be safe for the paint while on a trailer? I hope this all makes sense...

 

i would not use a car cover while the car is in transit as the cover will
flap against the finish.

your best bet is to put some painter's tape on the front (or rear) end of
the car which is forward facing... but imho, if the car is on a trailer you're
probably okay not using any tape, rather check for bird droppings every
night during your trans-atlantic trip. oh wait, where' you heading again?

yikes, no more garage, huh? make sure you find a place that at least
has a parking garage.

 

Moving to WA. I tired to find a parking garage and was not succesful. I did find covered parking. I could have got a garage, but that was 100 a month.

 

wow, you're going to rainy seattle? i guess Hydro will come in very handy then.

good luck in your move. i moved to LA after college and lived out there
for a couple of years (3yrs to be exact) in an apartment with a parking
garage. even so some butthead on occassion thought it was funny to
tap the car to let the alarm go off...

since then i knew a garage was a necessity for this car hobby and
so my wife and i bought our first home back home in IL.

 

Yeah, rainy seattle. I am close enough to work that the MINI is gonig to be a hobby car and my bike will be my daily driver. thats another reason I was thinking about the cover..its going to sit more.

 

In Seattle it is beautiful today and other than the appearance of a few menacing clouds over the weekend it was really nice too. You are moving at the right time for good weather. Of course, when October comes our reputation for rain will assert itself with a vengence.
You might want to drop by your MINI dealer and see if they will give you the white tranport film that new MINIs come with. I don't know if it comes off in one piece or not. If it does maybe you can get some to reuse for the trip.

 

Thats what i understand. I am basically traiding the cold, grey and snow for grey and rain.

 

scurves- is that because your first job is taking you out there?

 

Yep. Not first job, but first job out of college.

 

DON"T even think of putting a car cover on while you are towing. It will beat the paint right off your car in places. Painters tape would work. Worst case scenario, you'll have to clean the glop off when you get there, but your paint should remain unharmed.

I believe a certain future employer has just the product you are looking for. You can buy it next Saturday.

 

Groits sells a cover in a can. A spray on clear coating that can be peeled off when you're done. Might be good though I've never tried it myself. My biggest concern would be for gravel/rocks coming off your truck tires and causing chips.

 

Are you towing the car or is a transport company doing it ? If a transport company is doing it on a large trailer you should be ok. If you are towing it on a trailer you will probablly be ok from gravel dings and stuff, trailer will block 95% of the problems. If you are flat towing 4 down make sure you have mud flaps with brushes that are full width and a couple of inches off the ground, just like a motorhome has.

 

Good call on the spray on cover. I should get some, try it out, report back.

The MINI is going to be on a trailer, not flat tow, behind a van.

 

I'll remind you Saturday.

 

Car cover while towing = bad, bad.... Painters tape should do the job.

And avoid - at all costs - any road workers that might be re-painting the stripes in the road... We happened upon this situation whilst moving across country and it wasn't a pretty site when we made it to Cali. It was a windy day - go figure - and yep - we had nice little white dots ALL OVER the car we were driving and the MINI we were towing behind us... Days of elbow grease got it all off...

Congrats on the move and the job!!!

Donna

 

Hmmm. I would build an acrylic shield to place in front of the car. But I am odd that way.

 

Thanks. You also reminded me I should keep some clay and SpeedShine handy incase that happens.

 

Get some 3m clearbra or any other paint protection, that stuff is expensive but it is a great product.