Will these carports really protect my car?

[kalrith]

Here's a link to some enclosed carports, and I was looking specifically at this and this. They have frames, but those frames are covered with fabric/tarp material.

I'm wanting to park my '79 Monte Carlo in there. I drive it 2-3 times per month and would rather have the ease of parking my daily driver in the garage and parking the Monte Carlo somewhere else, but I still want it safe and protected from the weather. I don't want a metal-top carport, because those won't protect it from sunshine or from rain, snow, or hail that is blown sideways.

What do you guys think of this? Would it hold up against hail? Do you have any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Scouzer]

jewett.. heh heh...

 

[jagec]

What kind of hail do they get there?

A carport will keep it cleaner and dryer and out of the sun and less covered in bird crap, however, any hail that's actually big enough to dent a car (and that takes a BIG hailstone) is going to be borderline for a tarp.

Cars are tougher than you give them credit for. The tarp-top should be fine.

 

[kalrith]

We get nickel to golf-ball-sized hail pretty regularly. A couple of years ago we got baseball-sized hail. The dents in our '01 Mazda Tribute were so bad that dentless repair wouldn't fix some of them, and they had to replace the hood. Surprisingly our '92 Mercury Cougar was 30 feet from the Tribute, and you can't even tell that it was in a hail storm. I don't know if the hail was worse where the Tribute was, or if it's just because they don't build cars like they used to.

The carport is mainly to keep it dry, protect it from the sun, and keep it out of sight from passers-by (it's already been stolen twice).

 

[jagec]

Sheet metal does seem to have gotten thinner in recent years. Everyone seems to want a big car, but no one wants to pay the penalty in weight and gas mileage...

Depending on the type and thickness of the canvas, I can see a tarp-style carport holding up to baseball-sized hail. It would probably shake the entire structure horrendously, but I doubt it would penetrate.

For keeping it dry, protected, and invisible, those tarp-style carports should be just the ticket.

Also, get comprehensive insurance...it's really cheap (unlike collision), and it will cover you if the car gets stolen.

 

[kalrith]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'll go with one of these tarp-style carports. Of the two I linked in my OP, which do you think will perform better? I like the dome shape of the first one, but the second one seems to have a better cover.

I have both comp and collision on the Monte Carlo. However, it was my wife's deceased grandmother's car, so it has a lot of sentemental value. Money wouldn't be much consolation if it got stolen for good.

 

[Arkaign]

I've seen those at a used-car dealer in a town I recently lived in. They seemed to hold up pretty good, they kept their better cars in them.