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Open carport storage

Slider748

Senior Member
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I just bought a fully restored TR6 and I'll be parking it in a carport with a car cover on it. The carport will keep sun and rain off the car but I'm wondering about how humidity will affect it since I live in a wet climate area(Vancouver, B.C.). Any suggestions on how I can maximize the protection other than enclosing the carport?

Thanks.
 
Run a small fan to blow air under the car 24/7. This will reduce moisture from settling on the metal. Tends to keep critters away too.
Also, drive the car as much as possible (and wash/dry it afterwards).
Welcome to BCF!
 
Is the car cover waterproof or breathable material? It will help if breathable otherwise moisture can get trapped. As above, ventilation is a good idea. Will it be sitting for extended periods of time - months and months without driving it?

Bruce
 
Maybe a few of those little silica packets thrown in strategic places might help? They are designed to absorb moisture and deter mildew in shoe boxes and other cardboard items (my wife's company manufactures gift boxes, among other things, and packs a whole bunch of these inside to protect them on their lengthy sea voyage from China). Also, aren't moth balls in the engine compartment supposed to deter mice and other rodents? Depends how long the car will sit, if you drive it often enough it will help, but all of the above advice from fellow board members is sound.
 
Bruce is right; any cover you use must be breathable. Otherwise it will trap moisture inside and cause worse rusting.

The little silica packs are called desiccants and meant to absorb moisture out of the air. They work well in small enclosed spaces but to protect a whole car you would have to use a very large volume of them and the space would need to stay fairly tightly sealed. They make canisters in a variety of sizes to hold larger desiccant quantities. The material must be recharged (dried out) or replaced when it becomes saturated. That will happen very quickly if left open in a humid environment.

There is a company called Cortec that specializes in anti-corrosion chemical manufacturing. They have a line of consumer products that they sell under the Bullfrog brand name. They have received favorable press in gun mags but I haven’t tried the stuff yet myself.


PC.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
Thanks for the good advice people. I recently bought a car cover that is suppose to be very breathable. Wet season starts around late September and last 6-7 months. I might get about 20 drives in during this time when the sun gods decide to come out.
 
Slider748, If the cost is not prohibitive, in that environment I would spring for a car cacoon. Drive the car inside and inflate it with a small blower, no mice ,no spiders,no dirt that certainly sifts thru breathable car covers, no cleaning until next season and the humidity problem is resolved-FWIW---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
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