Hi folks,

My 05 Cooper S is due to arrive soon, and I'd like to have a car cover for when it gets here. I live in Northern California, where we get rain and our lowest temps are usually in the 40's. I have to park outside at my college dorm, and I learned from my old car that it's really beneficial to have a cover.

I wanted something light and small so that it would be easy to put on and easy to store in the MINI's boot. I also thought having it in bright blue would be kind of cool to match my HB. So after some research it seemed the Covercraft WeatherShield was the way to go - lightweight, but supposedly great protection against the elements, and it comes in colors.

My problem is this - I just found out my Dad also got a WeatherShield cover for his truck, so I went out and felt the material. It's VERY lightweight and feels like nylon - I don't see how this material is protecting the paint from scratches very well, though Covercraft swears it does. I'd be willing to get something larger as long as it still fits comfortably in the boot, if it does a better job of protecting the paint, etc. I know many have chosen their NOAH cover... Can someone advise me in this situation and help me decide what would be best?

Thanks!

-mike

 

I've got the MINI car cover and it's nice... looks cool and packs up fairly small, easily fitting in the boot. Has grommets on the bottom so you can put a cable lock on it too....

I haven't compared it to any other covers, but I am very happy with it. I rarely use it, but I've got it if I need it.

 

I've heard a lot of people speak badly of the OEM car cover, so I'm not interested in buying that, even though I love the way it looks. Many have talked of poor quality material that is prone to scratching. I'd prefer to go with a company who devotes research to this sort of thing.


-mike

 

I just purchased a custom-fit car cover from Car Cover World that sells Covercraft. I got the Evolution 4 ply cover. It fits perfectly and comes with a free bag and cable lock. It was $120. with $12.50 shipping. The elastic in both ends is very strong and the cover fits snug around the bottom and the wheels. There are 3 colors. Blue, Gray & Tan. It arrived in about 10 days. Excellent cover. I'm very happy with it.

http://www.carcoverworld.com/Default.asp

Jim

 

Jim, how thick and heavy is it? When compacted how much space does it take up in the boot?

-mike

 

It's 4-ply, so it is a bit bulky. Good protection from dings and all weather including hail and sun. I think if I rolled it up tighter, I could reduce the size, but I just let it take the size of the bag provided. Then smash it under a suitcase or something. It always seems to fit in the boot when I pack to go somewhere.
There is a pocket for the antenna that sticks up. I put a short 4" antenna on the MINI and turned the pocket inside out so it doesn't stick up. The short antenna seems to work as good as the original.

This custom cover is really well made and fits the MINI like a glove.

Hope that helps.

Jim :smile:

 

Glad to hear it, I've got the same cover on order. I'm going to keep my MCS indoors, but I want to have a little extra protection from my careless neighbors when I'm out of town.

 

Think about putting the wet cover in the boot... my Evolution 3 cover was a sopping mess when wet. I think the WeatherShield covers don't hold much water.

 

I haven't had that problem. The fabrics don't seem to hold moisture. Here's the link.

http://www.carcoverworld.com/Technalon.asp