Outdoor car cover?

Post your cleaning and detailing techniques, questions, product recommendations, etc. in this sub-forum.

Moderator: Dan Szwarc

Post Reply
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

Hello everyone, I am currently looking into purchasing my first classic Lincoln. It is a 1969 Mark iii, I just love the look of these cars! If I end up buying this car it will have to sit outside for about five months at my friends house, where it has been sitting for about 6 years. What car cover would you guys recommend? or if a car cover is not a good idea what would be the best way to take care of this car while it sits outside for the next five months. Thank you! -JP
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by Steve K »

If it's been outside there for 6 years, another 5 months won't hurt it. Depending on the condition of the paint, a good wash and detail would go a long way all by itself. There are different viewpoints about car covers. Some use them and some think they are harmful. I am in the later group. I think they trap moisture around the car, and the wind blowing against them can be abrasive to the finish as it flaps against the car. Some of these issues can be minimized by a high quality car cover, but a Pep Boys or similar quality one is probably worse than nothing. That's just my opinion.

You don't say anything about the current condition of the car or the climate where it is stored and those make a difference too.
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

Thank you for the reply Chad. The car is in decent condition, my friend bought it and had it painted (driver quality) and a new vinyl top put on. He said that he drove it around for a little while then he parked it. Been sitting ever since. Some rust on truck lid and in the floor of truck and that is about it. The mice have gotten in the interior but from the looks of it they have not completely eaten the seats up yet, just some feces on the seat and floor. It has been sitting outside in East Tennessee. I appreciate the advise about the car cover, I am leaning towards not putting anything on it, just clean it off before I head back off to school. Thank you-JP
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by Steve K »

I would clean it up good and put some rodent control product inside. It's sort of a research project to decide what to use. If you use a poison, you may have the odors of dead mice in there. If you don't, you may have them multiplying and doing more damage. I have heard moth balls help repel them. I would do some googling and see what you can come up with.
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

Thanks for the reply Chad, I appreciate all of the good information. I will look into what I can put in there to repel the mice. I hope to get a thread started in the next few days and get everyones opinion of the car. -JP
User avatar
RMAENV
Addicted to Lincolns
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Yardley, PA
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by RMAENV »

Bounce (dryer) sheets will chase the mice away. Buy a box spread them all over the interior and close the windows tightly and walk away for 3 to 7 days. Clean up droppings.
Rob
1966 Lincoln Convertible (White/Black)
1957 Chevy Bel Air Resto-Mod (Anthricite/Black)
2009 Challenger SRT 6.1 Hemi (Hemi Orange Pearl/Black)
2012 Expedition EL (White Titanium Tricoat/Charcoal)
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by Steve K »

I'm glad you posted that. I totally forgot Bounce. We put those all over our lake house when we close it for the winter for that reason. Plus it smells nice.
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
User avatar
dcm5652
Addicted to Lincolns
Posts: 1296
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:49 pm
Location: Nancy, Ky
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by dcm5652 »

I don't recommend a car cover outside on a repainted car. I put one on one of my cars while I was gone for a few weeks and when I took it off the cover had put blistered marks in the paint where it had rained on it and the cover was not dry when the sun came out. These marks will not buff out. Now I have to repaint a repaint to correct the problem.
3 1977 Mark V Luxury Group
2 1979 Mark V Collector Series
1 1967 Continental Coupe, (Dads car)
User avatar
mikey4243
No Longer With Us
Posts: 163
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 1:28 pm
Location: Chicago, Shorewood, and Paris IL
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by mikey4243 »

With my RV trailer I use Bounce dryer sheets AND Irish Spring bars of soap. Of course, I use that in my stored cars when I'm RVing around. NO mousies at all. They hate both aromas it seems.

Mothballs around each tire and just here and there under the car. Don't put them in the car - mothball smell lasts a LONG time.
Lincolns, Trains, Cushmans, Dobermanns, & BEER. 61 LCC SOLD - 61 LC Sedan SOLD- 70 Mark III - 70 - Mark III parts car - 76 Mark IV Lipstick Edition SOLD - 1956 Continental - 59 Cushman Eagle - 60 Cushman Pacemaker - 2 Kegerators, one at the house and one at the "shop." Life is GOOD... LCOC 26176
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

Thank you everyone for the replies they are greatly appreciated! I went today to look at the car again and I would like to get everyone's opinion. Let me start off by saying my plans for this car if I purchase it is that I would want to get it running and drive it around and most importantly save it from getting any worse. So here is what I learned about the car today. The motor is locked up, I didn't put any penetrating oil on it or anything but it didn't budge with the breaker bar. On the exterior it has some places where the paint is cracking because it has had junk on it for so long ( and some places where there is some filler), and it has a basecoat paint job on it or it might be acrylic enamel I'm not sure. The only major rust on the car is in the truck floor it has a decent size whole. He is asking $1,000 but I think I could get it for less. Please look over these pictures and let me know what you think. oh, I almost forgot it comes with a extra body that still has the entire interior in it. Thank you! -JP

Here is the link for the pictures
http://s284.photobucket.com/user/MWtuba ... t=3&page=1
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

Anybody had time to look at the pictures?
User avatar
Steve K
Lincoln-ally Insane
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:12 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by Steve K »

There aren't much there in the way of pictures. But there is more information in your post than before too. IMO, if the motor is seized and with the condition I see in the pictures, I'd let it go. You can get a running, driving one for very little more than that. That's way more than I would want to take on as my first project.
2018 Lincoln Continental
1964 Lincoln Continental Sedan
1948 Mercury Town Sedan,
1959 Mercury Montclair
User avatar
tomo
Dedicated Enthusiast
Posts: 785
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:01 pm
Location: Palatine, Il
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by tomo »

Check out what a complete rebuild of the engine would cost in your area, then add the cost of a brake job and a transmission rebuild. This is about what it would cost to get the car so you could drive it locally. You might want to add a few more thousand if you have not worked on this model Lincoln before. Be prepared for expensive surprises, they happen even on very well maintained cars and will probably happen on a car that has been sitting so long that the engine is seized. If you cannot free up the engine, you may have to add more $$$$$.

If this is your first collector car, I would step up to the plate and buy one that runs, and looks well. You will be able to enjoy it while you find out how much you like the hobby.
Tom O'Donnell
Palatine, IL
1953 Capri Sport Coupe
JPlincolnman
Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:19 pm
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by JPlincolnman »

I am glad you said that, I was surprised to see the shape the car was in, I remembered it being in better shape. Would you guys say that this car would be a good candidate for a complete nut and bolt restoration? I would like a better car for a first project. How much would a running and driving Mark III go for? I am going to look at one in the next few days that is supposted to be in good shape. But back to this car, I have a place to put it, and my friend is really wanting to make me a deal on this car so I might pick it up and just stick it in the barn and save it for a project at a later date. Thanks for all the advice! It is greatly appreciated. -JP
User avatar
tomo
Dedicated Enthusiast
Posts: 785
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:01 pm
Location: Palatine, Il
Contact:

Re: Outdoor car cover?

Post by tomo »

It depends upon why you want to restore it. If you have fallen in love with the color and options on the car and intend to drive it for many years, it may be worth it to you. If you think that you can turn a quick profit, don't start on it unless you are a professional mechanic and body man and place very little value on your spare time. A nice amateur restoration could cost much more than the value of the restored car.

I purchased a very nice Oldsmobile convertible at market prices and then found out that my wife did not like the car and I found the Lincoln that we had both been looking for. The Oldsmobile had to go, I did not have enough room for it. I put $1,200 in parts to fix the minor problems with the car and tried to sell it at the price that I paid for it. The car is still for sale after 1.5 years, waiting for the man that is looking for that convertible.
Tom O'Donnell
Palatine, IL
1953 Capri Sport Coupe
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest