I live in the city and have on-street parking only. I live on a nice block, so we have a couple of trees. Of course, this means bird dropings and all the other relaxing stuff for new car owners that have to park under trees.

I thought: hey, car cover! But my girlfriend is afraid that parking in the city under a car cover is just asking for trouble. I can see her point... we live in a nice neighborhood, but like all places in Philly, there are nefarious people everywhere.

What do you guys think? Anyone have experience with the car cover and on-street parking?

Thanks!

 

I sometimes use a car cover when I'm at work, and have to street park. I dunno about Philly, but unless the cover is made out of copper, people here will ignore it.

 

Well,....have you seen that commercial where the guy parks on the street, puts the steeringwheel club on his precious car, takes the time to put a nicely folded clean car cover on his beauty...and before he walks away, makes sure he sets the alarm. And then....B*A*M!!! A dump truck slams into it with a dumpster stuck on the front. I felt so bad for that poor guy -- actor or not.

I have a car cover, but now that I have to park on the street, I like to be able to look out my window and SEE that the car is intact (ok, as much as is visible is intact, anyway.) I have a really cool INSIDE car cover, though...it's for MINI, and it's got a gigantic zipper running up it! Very funny.

 

Besides...bird droppings and tree splatter just mean you get to exercise more "control" over your OCMD (Obsessive Compulsive Mini Disorder.)

 

Some people use car covers on the street here [San Francisco.] Most do not, for unknown reasons. I would get one, if I were you. My MINI [that I bought used] came with a $300 car cover. It's an outdoor model and quite nice. But I don't use it since I have a garage.

Here are some tips.

1. Don't scrimp on quality [don't buy on price.]

2. Get one that is specifically designed for the conditions the car will suffer [moisture, heat, sunlight.]

3. The better covers have padding that breathes, so that moisture and gasses do not accumulate under the cover. The padding is needed for protection of the paint. For example, the better covers will have metal grommets so you can lock the cover to the car. The better covers have felt covering the grommets so that you don't scratch the paint when putting the cover on the car.

4. You will need to lock the cover to prevent theft. Most covers have brass grommets through which you can put a rubber coated cable, run it under the car, and lock the other end of the cable. When I was not driving my BMW 740i much I bought a nice cover for it from the BMW dealership. I got lazy once and did not lock it one day. The cover was stolen soon thereafter. [At the time I was parking in a very public garage where about 200 cars were monthly parkers. So it was easy for someone to eyeball that nice cover and plan to take it should I not lock it, which I did in fact fail to do one time.]

5. Get a cover custom made/fitted for the MINI. This is needed so that the cover will fit properly and keep the cover from blowing off on windy days.

Here is the company that made the cover I have. It's one of the best covers I have ever had [and even better since I did not have to pay for it.]

http://www.calcarcover.com/cover_find.aspx

 

I agree with your GF. I have been wanting to get a cover myself but for the fact that I believe it may be inviting trouble makers. People could walk by break a window or two, or three etc and nobody would be the wiser until you remove your cover

 

Yeah, I'm getting a sunroof, so the majority of that will end up on glass, so I guess I shouldn't really sweat it. I wish they just made a 'hat' for the car that wasn't very noticeable... or I guess I could see if they would invisasheild the roof around the sunroof!

Let see, how else could I spend my hard-earned money...

 

Has anyone bought the Mini outdoor cover from the dealer? I was thinking about seeing if they would throw one in when I buy the car...

 

Well that was quick, in deciding not to get a cover.

Did you say you will be parking under trees too? Any chance of tree sap ruining your MINI's finish? Your hood gets very warm and when tree sap or other "crap" gets on it, the debris might bake into the paint.

No big, like I said, many cars in this town are not covered. May be the security concerns that your GF mentioned [cover invites trouble.] Seems a trade-off of risks and benefits. I do note that the cars that park on City streets look pretty trashed after spending a few years on the curbs.

 

I bought my BMW 740i cover from the BMW dealer [parts department] and as I recall it was about $350 retail. Good quality and it did NOT say "BMW" on the front. [If it said "BMW" it would have cost me more. But generally it is best not to advertise to passers-by that there is an expensive car under the cover.]

So given the retail cost of that cover [assume MINI may be less expensive], the question is whether or not the dealer will toss it in as a freebie.

Considering how dealers make a big deal of throwing in cheap floor mats when someone is paying MSRP for the MINI, I doubt they would be inclined to toss an expensive cover in for free. But you know the rule, it never hurts to ask / demand. All they can say is no.

 

Back in cali,we had to put the license plate number on the cover.Dont know if it's law,but a few cops told us to do it

 

Thanks Michael, I'll give that a shot. It wouldn't hurt just to have one, eh?

 

Do you mean California?

I have seen covers with spray painted numbers as huge as the front of the car. It's not the law, but recommended as a way to deter theft. It cuts down on the number of thieves because if the plate number is plastered on the cover, that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to resell it on eBay or Craig's List. Reducing possible thieves to only those who intend to use the cover lessens the risk that the cover will be stolen.

Also, while it's a long shot, the police might notice the plate on the cover does not match the plate on the car. The police might ask questions. Self-appointed community watch dogs might also report the inconsistency. But the odds of this happening are slim to none.

What also deters theft is that the MINI cover is specialized to where it won't fit other cars. [It's too small and has a unique shape.] Thieves usually steal the larger covers that can fit on any car, including their POS.

Just my opinion, there's no science on car cover thefts.

 

Yeah, I was going to give mine to a needy NAM member for shipping only [member with most compelling story would get it.] But then I thought it might come in handy at some point so I decided to keep it.

Currently it's sitting rolled up in a cloth bag in the trunk [er... excuse me, the boot.]

 

Oh man. Please don't mention tree sap. I have a tree that fairly spits sap so fast you can hardly get a car into the garage fast enough, short of Italian Job stunt driving.

 

Moss Motors outdoor cover.

 

That's a very nice cover. Note to others: The better covers take into account that there has to be a "condom" to go over the MINI antenna. [Sorry for the condom comment, but when I was putting my cover on the MINI a girl laughed at my fitting the cover around the antenna and made a comment, which I won't repeat in here.]

 

Yeah, the MINI outdoor cover is priced at $197. I live in a fairly secluded neighborhood in a small city so im not as concerned with advertising what my car is. Besides, whos going to mistake a MINI even if its under a cover?

 

I'm moving to L.A. from a small town in Arizona so I definitely want to get a cover. Is there a general consensus on the best one? What about this one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...66VEN&v=glance

I have a MC40 Mini with spoiler and rally lights so I need a cover that will accomodate those. For the most part I'll be parking it outside on the street.

 

I admit it, I snickered a bit when I saw the pic just now.

 

So, my girlfriend is pretty dead set against the car cover. And I do not want to create a situation where she is proven right and I am proven wrong. So, I've scoped out the two spots on my block near my apartment that are not covered by trees which you can see here.

The one on my street and then the one on the corner to the south should be big enough for my MINI. Now, if I can just get home early enough to claim them...

 

I did find this rather awesome cab cover that I think I might buy:
http://www.mossmini.com/Shop/ViewPro...eIndexID=39373

 

If you need an outdoor cover get Noah fabric. It is very effective and reasonable cost. Noah will do better than the MINI cover.

I just got one from 'Brand New US' for $130 delivered. Wolf Noah cover, lowest price for a quality cover I have seen.

 

I just received a cover from these guys:

http://www.cover-zone.com/

I opted for the Voyager ($124.50 US, including shipping). The construction seems very good and it fits nicely. There is no "condom" however, so I have to remove the antenna for a very good fit. Since I have a stubby antenna I can install the cover over it, but have to leave a couple of inches of rear wheel exposed so as not to over-stress the fabric.

 

I might get one of the fitted outdoor covers. I have to park at work where there's tons of diesel soot, and while I will garage the car, when I park on the street it will be under sap-heavy trees full of rather prolific birds.
I had a breathable cover for my '65 Mustang and it never got stolen. This was 17 years ago, and it was $60 then, probably nearly $200 now.
My only concern is that in some areas it might be like a honeypot and attract thieves to cut it off, thinking you're hiding goodies in the car.