[MoonKlash]

Hello there!

We'll be picking up our first MG TF on Friday and I'm rather excited.

The car has been kept in a garage by the previous owner, however our garage has been converted and so she will be sat in the drive next to my ZS.

Is it worth getting a cover to keep the car dry in the winter? I've also heard these lock in moisture and can cause damage if it's windy, so I'm not sure if it's better with a cover on or a cover off.

Worth noting, the car comes with a hard top so that should hopefully help keep her dry through the winter (although I'm not yet aware if there are any leaks in the soft top).

I can see there are a fair few manufacturers selling covers, and so I thought I'd ask here for feedback on which to get (if any).

I'll be sharing the car with my other half, and we'd need to be easy (and quick) to put on / take off. I'm happy to not go with the cheapest option if it helps to protect her.

Thanks in advance for all your advice!

All the best,

Stu.

 

[PatM]

They will rust away if not protected-by design! There are different types of covers-a cheap £50 is not going to afford any particular benefit-but a lightweight 'garage'-demountable type might, if correctly secured. Even kept in a 'warm heated and ventilated garage' an old car will succumb to a pile of rust, eventually. Ive yet to see a 'warm , heated and ventilated 'garage anyway, yet everyone boasts one when selling the 'garaged' car!! One of my neighbours has a BMW of sorts- its kept in a structure/cover on his drive. It seems to do the job. Key with old cars is maintenance and care. They can blister so easily from one year to another.

 

[MoonKlash]

Thanks - so it sounds like it could be a wise move to get one? Reading other forum threads, I was starting to thinking I was being paranoid!

 

[Bromsgrove man]

A friend of mine who doesn't use his car over winter did try a cheap cover when he moved and didn't have a garage a couple of years ago and yes, the car was in a mouldy state inside when he took it off in the spring. Cleaned up okay but not a great experience.

My car has always lived outside since I bought it and it just has the soft top. I've had no real issues with that, so long as the windows are watertight. I treat the roof about once a year with the autogylm cleaner and proofer kit and its good to go.

I did get a half cover a couple of years back, the MG one which just covers the screen and roof - Mike Satur does a version of it called the Sunmate.

I used it one winter fine but then the next winter I noticed it had worn away the fabric along the front of the roof. I guess where it was buffeted by the wind repeatedly. So I stopped using it. If you've got the hard top on though that clearly wouldn't be an issue.

Even with just the sunmate half cover its was enough of a faf sometimes to take off, find somewhere to put it to dry and then know it had to be put back on after to put me off taking the MG out.

It was good for winter/snow/frosty mornings though, I will say that. (But even then sometimes you had a job getting it off because the boot lock can freeze solid in winter.)

I can see they are probably a good idea if you are leaving the car unused for a month or two but if I was planning to use it occasionally I don't think I'd bother. If anything I've more wanted a cover for the summer when I've spent all day polishing it and then after a night parked out there its covered with a layer of pollen and dust the next morning :/

 

[skellum]

I have a TF laid up waiting a ground-up restoration. I did have a cover on her, but the wind caused the cover to chaffe the paint, and I still found condensation forming underneath. She now has a hard-top on, and I keep a couple of dehumidifier blocks inside. Seems to work better.

 

[MoonKlash]

Thank you for the tips! I suspect we won't be running her much in the winter but as we have the hard top I'll see how we get on without a cover. I've heard a few mentions of covers damaging paintwork and I don't want something meant to protect her to cause damage

Good point about autoglym, hadn't thought of that!

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[Julian Foulger]

A good cover will not damage the paintwork. I have the original Rover accessory cover and is very light (the one. I use it to keep the dust off as the car is kept at a constant 17 C underground fully vented. Having said that there is some damp in the atmosphere, but no rust on the body.

In your shoes, I would use a light cover (not to damage the paintwork) and only put it on once the car is dry (do not use the cover on a damp/wet car otherwise the water is trapped and cannot evaporate).

 

[MoonKlash]

Thanks - I'll have a look about and see what I can find. She'll be outdoors, so not sure we'll have the opportunity to put the cover on when dry if we use her in the winter, however I'll be looking for a breathable one if we take that route, to try and make sure the water can at least escape.

 

[NHSMGMan]

Paid a lot for a good cover, which became wet inside eventually and was too big, so gave up on it.
Got fed up with the whole on/off mess about in the end and left her to nature.
Cars happy and my wife has more room in shed.
I clean it every week, mostly, and polish once a month, weather permitting.
Some things seem like a great idea for a while eh?

 

[Narkdup]

Concours Auto Products do tailored breathable covers for inside and outside or both, I have one on my R25 and my father-in-law uses an indoor soft cover on his Stag without any detriment to the paintwork. Where ever you store it it’s gonna deteriorate cars weren’t designed to last more than 10 years, a cover not only protects from adverse weather but the sun is a big killer of internals and externals. You’ll get condensation on metal and glass in 99% of places, the key is to clean it regularly air it when you can and run it if possible. Hope this helps 😁👍

 

[MoonKlash]

Thank you all! We have the car now and - quite a surprise - there was a cover in the boot! I've not looked at it too closely yet but I know where to go now if we decide to change it

 

[Narkdup]

Good luck with the car👍

 

[MoonKlash]

Thanks! Now I just need an excuse to use it! That's the only problem with working from home

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