So I am in desperate need of help. My 92 GTA has always been garaged except for one year when I was homeless and pretty much living in it, that was a long time ago. I have no garage and no covered parking at my new house tho. As it stands right now, she is parked behind my house on concrete with only a custom INDOOR cover on her (the one made for my old '91 Firehawk). Attached is a picture of how she is currently.

I moved from CA to a Caribbean island. My house is 93ft up right on the edge of a cliff over the ocean. Far enough up I don't get any mist from the waves crashing below. But still, things rust STUPID FAST, like it's ridiculous. At first I thought the outdoor cover was a good idea. It's insanely humid here and a shower passes through often, sometimes once a day and once a night. The outdoor cover would allow the car to breathe instead of holding moisture underneath I thought, it's so sunny and bright here things dry crazy quick. BUT, after only 5 months, I can already see signs that it's not a good idea. The indoor cover has bleached lighter by ALLOT from the UV. I can see where it holds allot of dust under the cover on my brand new paint (the island is limestone so the dust is wicked corrosive). Also I have tiny tiny surface rust starting here and there, especially under the hood. I even have rust on the heads of some plenum bolts now. This car has NEVER had so much as a SPEC of rust anywhere EVER. Until now :/

So, what is my best solution? A proper outdoor cover? Another indoor cover? Both? I'm not sure what to do.

I plan on building a proper garage onto the back of the house but that's a year or two away.

Any ideas how I can better protect my baby are appreciated! I'm going to be in CA on holiday for the next 3 weeks so if anyone can post a link to what they think is the best cover, I will gladly buy it right away so I can take it back with me.

Thanks! Alex

EDIT: Just bought this one, couldn't stand it any more lol: http://www.ebay.com/itm/112003710071

Hope that's a good choice. Also since I won't be driving it for a few months, I cleaned and detailed the engine bay (which only had light dust anyway) and spent like an entire bottle of Eagle One Tire Gloss on everywhere it would reach. I used to do that allot back in the day because it helps keep all the rubber hoses nice and perfect but I did it less and less the more and more I drove it since it does attract dust to stick. Hopefully that will be an awesome barrier to the salty air and limestone dust.

 

Alex,

What's preventing you from storing it inside that shipping container next to the house? If not, I think I read a long time ago that if you have to store a car outside with a cover on it to put a sheet of plastic on the ground first. The concrete absorbs the water from the rain and then it evaporates and gets trapped under the cover.

Eldon

 

The container is full of allot of other stuff like 24 solar panels, all my tools, etc. Im gonna consolidate and put the GTA n there for hurricane season tho but ill b selling the container immediately after. The big issue is the width, the car is really wide and can barely get n the container with the mirrors, then its like yoga getting out lol.

I recall that too, it was the reason I did plastic and carpet in my garage in Bako after I bought the car. I'll think about that, maybe putting down a huge tarp under my car.

 

Those ARE some hash conditions. A breathable cover is a good idea, but the best bang for your buck for longevity is going to be rust proofing the underside of the car via Por-15. Paint the underside of it all along the floor pans and just about everything except for the exhaust.
For protecting the rest of the car including the paint, I would definately be throwing away any polish and wax I had that did not contain silicone. In your case you WANT silicone based polishes and waxes. I would literally wax everything with it.

 

 

One of my buddies at a local body shop uses one of these. Good Temporary garage

 

Thanks allot for the advice!

 

So I can't afford an outdoor fancy covering like that. Also I really dread doing under-body coating. Is there anything easier to remove in the future than POR-15? A coating that will come off with a degreaser or acetone or something but still protect from corrosion?

Also I'm really torn on the tarp under the car. I see the downside as when rain get on top of it under the car, it will make it allot harder for the water to dry and the longer the water is under the car, the more I worry. Not sure what to do there.

I own a 2-speed high speed polisher and professional buffer so I'm going to try the silicone polish DonW recommends. My paint is brand new but it was never polished or waxed yet plus there has been allot of damaged from shipping, scratches and marks all over the paint. What wax do you think would work great with it? I'm over the Zaino thing and I've fallen in love with Formula 113 over the years and used it on my GTA and Ducati before. I like that there is zero residue left, which makes detailing around the GTA emblems WAY easy.

 

Spray the entire undercarriage with some type of penetrating oil like WD-40.

 

I'd worry about that being a disaster after driving down dirt roads, it would make the corrosive limestone dust stick even better I would think. But I may just do that in the meantime since I may not be driving her for another couple months.

 

 

Formula 113 is excellent. I would stick with that. The silicone polish will make washing and waxing a breeze too. That silicone isn't going anywhere fast. One good shot of using your buffer with it and then seal it with your wax. From then on just hand wipe it on and off 2 times a year and you will be surprised how long it will bead water off. It's great on the windshield and the rest of the glass too. It does have a light grit to it so you will want to seal it off with the formula 113 each time. Good luck!

 

Cool, just ordered another 32oz of F-113 then, thanks.

What spray on under coatings are decent? I'm in CA now and maybe can find some cans at a local auto parts store to bring back with me...

 

They have this at Home Depot for 39 bucks. It's a case of two 1 qt cans. That's two full quarts! More than enough! I've never tried it, but looking at the can and the quantity you get for that price I would definately give it a go since it stops rust and is also rubberized to deaden sound. Looks like it is probably designed for a spray gun but I imagine a guy could also brush it on for no over spray too. Looks like a winner. Just searching for it for you, it has me intrigued myself. I'm going to give it a go! And of course it comes in rattle cans too, and they sell those by the case for cost savings.

 

Awesome, thanks again!

 

I think you're crazy. That container would be better protection from rust than anything else you could come up with. Suspend a rope ladder from the ceiling to help you get out.

Hey, if Bandit could get into his car in the back of his rig without opening the doors, you can too.

 

The container is going to be sold end of this October anyway, but I will use it this season.

 

Yup....that container is where its at til you build a garage.

 

I just wanted to follow-up so people have some feedback on that eBay cover I purchased...

It's crap. Doesn't have pockets for the mirrors, so its stupid tight on the corners of the mirrors. It's also stupid tight on the corners of the aero wing. Other than that it fits ok but is a bit too loose.