recomendations for good-fitting car cover?

I'm buying the 2001 VS in the classifieds from Bruce Moyer and will be trailering it to its' new home in chilly Wisconsin. I would like any recommendations anyone out there has for a good fitting car cover in case a gravel truck decides to pass us and share its' payload. Also to keep the car covered for the 6-9 months of Wisconsin winter when it is not practical to be driving it. Thanks in advance. A lot of you have been helpful to this Speedtser newbie including nudging my decision to buy this low mile beauty.
Luke

California Car Covers has a pattern perfect for replica Speedsters.
www.calcarcover.com/

Luke,
A car cover is a good idea, but you might wwant to check on the legality of towing a car with a cover. I don't think its legal.

Ditto to California Car Cover. Not sure about the legality question. How would that be different from transporting in a covered car carrier? What I would be more concerned about is any chafing which might take place while in transit.

Make sure it isn't flapping or rubbing anywhere, maybe even duct tape or tie it underneath somehow . The least bit of flutter or rub over the miles will chafe the paint pretty bad.

I was told that the issue is one of the cover blowing off the car and obscuring the vision of the guy behind you. It sounded hokey to me, but no dumber than a lot of what is really true. I didn't check it out, I just bought the covered transport...

If I may throw in my 2c about this topic.
I would never transport a car under a car cover. The repeated vibration of the cover will act like fine sand paper.
I once threw a cover on my Spyder, trying to aviod a tremendous pop-up thunder storm last spring, and the wind (sustained 60-80mph for a few hours) literally wet sanded spots on the hood and tops of the fenders. No real damage, but a full 2 days of buffing (and wet sanding the rest of the car) to correct what I thought was protecting it from the elements.
You'd have to have a cover that fit like a wet suit to avoid this, especially with sustained 60+ MPH wind on the back of a truck.

As for a storage cover, I concur on the Cal cover too.

CEH

Luke, the guys are right. VS paint tends to be on the soft side,DO NOT COVER IT WHILE TOWING. Much better to rent a covered trailer. Eddie

Luke,

I also tried trailering my Speedster once when it was threatening rain, the car was new and without a top....the cover flapped and looked like a large baloon. We had to stop every few minutes to try and reposition it, eventually gave up and took it off. Best bet is to leave the cover off and slow down or pull off the road for a few minutes if you get behind one of those gravel trucks.

Welcome to the land of Speedsters East! I hope you'll have your new baby on a trailer again and head for Carlisle in May to join everyone for the East Coast Speedster meet. You should be able to join the parade of cars coming from Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, etc.

East coast Bruce,

A real Speedster guy doesn't trailer a car unless it is semi-terminal. They drive 'em! Course you eastern guys haven't experienced a 6 month wagon trail ride in the wilderness like us Westerners. No trailer queens out here. LOL.

I agree with the words of caution about car covers. My way of approching a car cover is strictly a dust cover used in the garage and as a secondary precation when driving to Replica Rendezvous with an overnight along the way. Maybe keep prying eyes and fingers from the interior.

Anyway Luke, congrats on your purchase and now you a certified card carrying nut like the reat of us, Welcome.



West coast Bruce

I agree with Eddie and Carey on this one. The enamel paint used on Vintage Speedsters is indeed very soft. Shipping it with the cover on, even in an enclosed trailer will scuff the paint. Don't ask me how I know this, but I will tell you I spent the better part of two full days buffing out the scuff marks on my black paint job after our move from California to Virginia.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. No cover it will be and since it's already imperfect, I'm gonna follow my friend's advice. Don't worry about the finish, just f***ing drive the wheels off it. I'm not ready to drive an unknown car 700 miles in 40 degree weather and I've got a friend who owns a trailer, so I won't be renting a covered one. I'll check out the recommended cover for its' winter dormancy. Thanks all,
Luke

So,
amI better off using the tonneau cover or with top up? pros and cons. Talk amongst yourselves.

Tonneau all the way- much better seal

I agree with Stan 100% use the Tonneau Cover.
And Luke, when you get it sorted out??...... 700 Miles will be a milk run!

Jim

Hey Jim,
As soon as that becomes a milk run, I'll become a milkman; seriously. Got milk? Who wants milk, I'll deliver anywhere within a 700 mile radius; unfortunately I won't won't be able to deliver very much milk and apparently from some other threads, I'll have to stop frequently for gas. At least I'll look good. Scratch that, at least the car will look good. HAR-HAR!

I will agree with Bruce Williams about his idea use for a car cover, keep the dust off and if its an over night trip to keep prying eyes out

West Coast Bruce,

When the Speedster was first running I trailered it once - to Carlisle for the first time - about 160 miles round trip. I previously had only taken very short trial drives near the house. Built the car myself: drilled every hole, tightened every bolt, sourced all the parts, wired it, etc. so anything more than about 10 miles from the house was untested territory.

Carlisle always has a Saturday evening country-side cruise for anyone interested and the back half of the cruise (where we were) got seperated onto a lone country road. Our group was flying down different back roads to catch the lead group and I started thinking about all those bolts and "creative" solutions installed by yours truly and never driven very fast. We caught the group, finished the tour, drove all over Carlisle the rest of the weekend and trailered home. That was ten years ago...soon after that we sold the trailer and the Speedster has never stranded us or been on a trailer since.
(Knock on wood!).

We'll be driving to Carlisle again this year.

Have fun at Knotts! We're anxious to see the photos!

East Coast Bruce