Just to 100% prove my cheapness , here is the latest hair brain scheme i have come up with
since moving house back in Dec 2007 , i dont have a carport so the cab has been subjected to all sorts of weather
with a mishap in Jan 2008 where i got about 2 inch of water in the footwell and promptly blew the ECU i decided i needed to keep the car dry
so to start out i used a £15 argos cover , this probably lasted a month tops before being ripped apart by the wind
so i then moved onto a £35 cover by argos , this lasted about 2 days before being found in the front garden - the wind had blown it off the car completly
so i was now forced to use a £10 car top cover - nice and cheap and lasted a few months ( at a guess ) this was then ripped to shreds by the wind etc...
and then over the following months up till yesterday i have done thru many more of the car top covers
the problem is , is that when the wind gets under them - it just blows hell out of them and ruins them very quickly - so i needed a new plan
and this is what it looks like ( see pic )
yeah thats right - its a shower curtain .. Grinder friendly price from tescos at 96p
with some minor mods ( i cut the holding straps off a car cover and attached them to the shower curtain ) and also put some washing line thru the holes that attach it to the shower rail
the cover was attached ( its not that big - but needs to keep the roof dry ) - it was tied around the mirrors , hooked under the back arches and the washing line around the rear wheels
there is a duvet cover underneath the shower curtain so that it wont scratch the paint work
now .. how long are we expecting this cover to last - to be honest - if it does a month i will be happy
it seems to be made of stronger stuff than a car cover - and in the grand scheme of things they are to be used in the shower - so it should keep the car dry no probs
... goood god im cheap ... :D :D :D
Stu / Grinder
Nothing on earth can ever be as good as this. Nothing.
Grinder - I salute you :god
innovative as well as economical
ha ha ha knew you would like it !!
i was having a shower on sat night and the idea suddenly came to me
if that amount of water can spray directly at a shower curtain ( from a shower only 3 feet away ) - but the floor stays dry it must me 99.9999999% water proof
and it was the cheapest i could find !!
its 180*180cms - so about 6*6feet - just a shame i cant find a bigger one say 6*8 feet
but we shall see how long this one lasts
when it gives up the ghost i will take pics of the mess :D
thats genius! just a thought though to maybe help the wind pulling it apart. how about getting another one to place ontop. then the curtain on the bottom u can cut some holes in it so it wind blows uo there then the hole can divert the wind away rather than just pulling it to shreds.
kinda like those umbrellas with 2 layers.
This is exactly the sort of thing that made the nation great!:Laugh
More of this thinking outside the box is required i say! Ha ha ha!
lol, loving it !
Shaun
hummm not a bad idea - not sure if cutting holes would weaken it some what
in an ideal world you could get 2 of them - glue them together to that
1 - it could be anything from 6*6 to 6*11 ( allowing 1 foot for glueing )
2 - you would have "eyes" at both ends so you might beable to strap it down better
the next plan is to run some rope or something from the rear right wheel to the left wing mirror and vice versa - this should stop it flapping around ( i think )
but at 96/98p who cares - as long as it works im not bothered
i love a cheap fix though :D :D
so off to the £1 shop at dinner to see what i can find
.....is all good, the sorta shed and shoestring engineering that made Britain Great!
....although the thought occurs that you could\'ve just taken the £60.96p (+undisclosed sum for the duvet cover :Giggle) that you\'ve accumulated on buying successive cheapy covers and shower curtains and bought one really top-notch car cover in the first place :D......
If your struggling to keep it down in the wind, put a tennis ball on the underside of the cover. Hold it from the outside and wrap a bungee cord or rope around it and then tie it to the car. Works for my Dad with his kit cars and it\'ll never rip.
Oh and just to clairfy, YES YOU ARE CHEAP.
show that credit crunch who\'s boss!!!
Quote from: TiddlesRX7;578539If your struggling to keep it down in the wind, put a tennis ball on the underside of the cover. Hold it from the outside and wrap a bungee cord or rope around it and then tie it to the car. Works for my Dad with his kit cars and it\'ll never rip.
Oh and just to clairfy, YES YOU ARE CHEAP.
thats genius :D :D :D
and yes - spending £60 would have prob saved me hell of a lot of hassle to be honest - should have thought about that before i started
whats more annoying is that at the old house - it only cost me £120 to build a 18ft long car port and that kept the car lovely and dry and no need for faffing around with covers
Don\'t like to rain on your parade or your cover but won’t the duvet cover get soaking wet and leave you with the same problem?
the same problem ??
the only reason i have the cover is that a seal is split - and you get a load of water in the footwell ( need to source a new one - but all FC Cabs are like this )
using the duvet cover and a cover ontop of that i have managed to keep the car dry thru all the winter weather - so from that point of view its working as it should
the problem ( as you point out ) is that the duver thats not covered gets wet - and this is prob causing the car to get mouldy on the inside .. BUT.. the car hasnt been run for prob 4 months - so what would any other car be like parked outside over winter and not used - i cant picture it being exactly spotless on the inside ?????
it boils down to 2 things in the grand scheme :-
1 - try and keep the car dry the best i can with a cover ( regardless of how the inside looks )
2 - sell the car ( thats what the better half wants and i have been combatting this for over 12 months now )
Fair enough, I just thought that with the duvet exposed that it would soak up all the rain and still be soaking wet under the cover which is there to stop it getting wet if you see what I mean.
ahhh yes - i see your point
i think its the quantity of rain that seeps thru the seal - so with the duvet where it is - only so much water will soak into it ( and it needs to soak uphill as it would be ) - so yes it gets wet - but it wont hold enough water to seep thru the split ( if that makes sense ?? )
not sure if this is a similar theory
but if you got some material with holes in it - and then sprayed the shower at it - then water would pass thru it ( and lots of water i would expect ) - but if you got a towel and soaked it thru and then rested this ontop of the material with holes in it - i bet a lot less water would pass thru it ??
well thats confused me to be honest - so im leaving it there :D :D :D
and the cover isnt there to stop the car getting wet - thats not a problem - thats how it gets clean :) - the cover it to stop it getting water inside the car :D :D :D
Lovely idea and I to myself suffered with the rain and wind whilst my cab was being renovated outside. I did have visions of drawing up a plan to have a cover made to cover the windshield, rear windows and side windows only. I was going to utilise the existing studs for the roof cover, wiper arms as anchor points for the front and maybe also the wing mirrors to hold the side down. I did not want a full cover, only where the known points of water ingress are........on the cab its the entire roof !!! So maybe i will get some plans drawn up and get some chaps at work to sew something together. It can also be adaptable for the coupes as well.
There is nothing on the market at the moment which is a shame so maybe it might end up as a good thing for FC owners if I can get the price right. Lads at work will only be able to make one for a pattern.
yes Grinder you are cheap as I doubt you will buy one and still opt for your shower curtain !!!
i have but one thing to say to you Grinder sir ................
Tight A$$ :Giggle:Giggle:Giggle
Pete
that genius mate - why didnt i think of that ????
i think the hardest part is finding a material that wont scratch the car ... and what i was thinking is a scuba suit material - its water proof and shouldnt scratch the car - but its the cost of it ( i assume its expensive )
but its strong stuff as its about 4-5mm thick and wont rip
im loving the idea of using the press studd things by the rear screen
i might have a dig around the net tomorrow and see what i can come up with
to be honest if it worked out at sub £100 or near as damn it - i would be interested - as it would one buying and can always be sold on
ohhhhhhh roll on tomorrow for a nosey around :D :D
and yes Gurj - im cheap :D :D :D
Material does not have to be any different to the lined quality covers we have at the moment on the market but I for one would want a material that will not degrade and fall apart as most do in a short time. You can get a canvas but I will need to look into some of the covers you can already get for other makes of convertibles.
might have a nosey around the tinterweb today and see what i can find local to me
hello you long time no speak i cudnt send private message so i thought reply here i forgot ur id i made new now send it me ill fill u in
well its been a month now and the cover is still in one peice on the car and not showing any sign of wear - i think im onto a winner with this idea :D
I might look into a car cover as soon as i can for just the roof bit. Some rotten cat is deciding to perch on my roof not only leaving hairs but showing some claw marks as well.
If it gets any bad then i will either have to move my car or better still remove the cat !!!
well i had a bit of a panic last night - we expereinced gale force winds - the cover was being blown all over the place ( from the sides )
woke up this morning - looked out of the window - and the cover is still on and in one peice ... WOOOHOOOOO :D
Quote from: pdtaylor18;588685I might look into a car cover as soon as i can for just the roof bit. Some rotten cat is deciding to perch on my roof not only leaving hairs but showing some claw marks as well.
If it gets any bad then i will either have to move my car or better still remove the cat !!!
At least this proves that FC cabs are great for attracting a bit of pussy......:)
.....all right, no need to be like that! :( Someone had to say it......
well there is some bad news to report about the cover :(
there are a FEW minor holes in the cover - this is due to the cover being blown around with the wind and the rope using to hold it down rubbing thru it
BUT - its still working exactly as it should do and working so much better than the argos ones
so 3 months in and its still OK :D
How about one of these :mmmm
http://www.scottsofstow.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_19551_-1_46440_10551?cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-Shop%20Window-_-Product-_-1024224
yeah but have you seen the price of it - LOL :D :D :D
Now thats just £9 too much for Grinder!! At least you can save up during the Summer months for a new cover for next winter.
at 96p i think i can splash out on a new one :D ( if need be )
Have you worked out where your leaks are? I have loads of rubber roof bits that i am sure will sort your problem out. You just need to tell me which bit is leaking, cant have you having a cover on the cab all the time can we??
hiya pete - i THINK its coming in here :
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
car cover is showing sign of wear and tear - and rips have appeared ( where the rope is rubbing )
so off to tescos for another one
Not bad though - less than a £1 for 6/7 months of a dry car :D
LOL, This brings back memory\'s.
How do matey, I\'m surprised you have a wind problem with what i keep hearing about you :)
I bought the Blue hood cover from Halfrauds then pulled the elastic hooks tight so it stayed in place then trapped the Cover with the doors (tops of the windows).
O yeh and i went through a stage of rigging up drip trays :) I found the biggest issue was to stop the floor falling out but at least i did\'nt have any Ecu problems at that point.
Hiya buddy !!
how tricks ??
went to tescos and they didnt have any :( - and then came home and the cover is ripped well and truely at the back ( which is ok as it only leaks in at the side )
although with the rain at RS - it was dry inside - i think the problems lie with leaving it 3 months in the rain over winter :(
From my observations, the rubbers do swell when they get wet, so they will provide a better seal. Keeping the rain off with a cover may be making the problem worse for when you do drive it and get caught in a shower. :Giggle
Let me see what rubber seals I have Stu in that problem area of yours and see if they help any. PM me your address please.
actaully dave - in the rain its fine ( prob cause you are moving )
like i said - the prob arose over winter when it didnt move for 3 months or so !
Pete - will drop you a PM tomorrow - off to bed now :D
well here is car cover MKII :
Got a idea Stu,
Hire a skip. empty all that junk out of your garage, and put the vert in there.
:)
nah thats toooo easy buddy
Quote from: Mobilemick;626768Got a idea Stu,
Hire a skip. empty all that junk out of your garage, and put the vert in there.
:)
:Giggle
Classic!:Thumbsup!
Quote from: Mobilemick;626768Got a idea Stu,
Hire a skip. empty all that junk out of your garage, and put the vert in there.
:)
i dont think u can hire a skip for under £49.99?? :Giggle
crickey - everyone is on the £50 band wagon recently !!
and although i good idea keeping the car in the garage - where would i keep the motorbike and the tools and spare car parts etc... ??
what bike is it..? i might take it off ur hands :p
its just a little 600 (GSX-600F)
last taxed something like March 2002 - so its not been run in a while !! :D
Colloquially known as the "Teapot" due to its profile strongly resembling said item of crockery :rollin
LOL :D
actually i use it as a shelf - just dump stuff on it !!
OK how about this: Sell bike and use money to buy new roof for car and hire skip. Clear out garage into skip. Park car in garage - Put up shelf in garage for odd miscellaneous items - Sorted :Thumbs-up
Quote from: grinder;627017LOL :D
actually i use it as a shelf - just dump stuff on it !!
Probably the best use for it, unfortunately. Especially if it\'s one of the early 90\'s models that were painted like one of Gazza\'s shell suits :Tongue1
Quote from: Adriansturgess;627033OK how about this: Sell bike and use money to buy new roof for car and hire skip. Clear out garage into skip. Park car in garage - Put up shelf in garage for odd miscellaneous items - Sorted :Thumbs-up
Please see above :Giggle Sadly, an old Teapot probably wouldn\'t cover the price of the B&Q shelving brackets, let alone stretch to a new cab roof :(
what a thread !!
errr its a 1993/4 i think ( and in a normal red colour ! )
the plan is - build a big shed for all the stuff in the garage and shed - and then put the car in the garage
or ... when the car dies - scrap that and get the bike back on the road and all my probs are solved :D
simple really - it just might take me 3-4 years to actually do it :D
will have to take a piccy of the contents of garage - just to that you can all see how untidy it actually is :D
Quote from: grinder;627047will have to take a piccy of the contents of garage - just to that you can all see how untidy it actually is :D
umm - that reminds me to sort mine out - I\'ve resorted to dumping stuff at the entrance now, as I can\'t get to the back of it without climbing over stuff :rollin
sounds exactly like mine
we had a party at our house on sunday - so everything ended up in the garage - so its a right mess at the mo :(
Any updates on the epic cover? Am I right i saying your on cover number 2 now? :Giggle
alas no - im about to break out cover number 3
with the high winds of late it manage to rip a corner off the cover - so its now tied on ( literatly ! )
have a new cover waiting to go on - so will prob swap it over at the weekend
but 2 covers in a year - im more than impressed to be honest - and this one would have lasted longer - but its like a wind tunnel down the drive :(
and here is a pic of the garage - as you can see - car wont fit in this state ( although this pic is after a tidy up months ago )
Sell the bike and it might fit... :p
hows about reinforcing the corners of the curtain so wont rip as easy?
duck tape?
cheap tarpaulin(sp) from ebay?
the problem with tarps is that they WILL damage the paint :(
already looked into that :D :D
and brett - the garage is only 9\'6 at the widest part - so ideally it would need to be completly empty for the car to fit - and i dont think you could walk around it once its in
just a shame they didnt build the garage about 15 foot further back and make it 23*12 - wouldnt have looked out of place and the car would have fit dead easy - and with a nice concrete pad at the front for working on the car if the weather was nice
might be a project for years to come to knock it down and rebuild ( once the house is complete of course )
If I can get a Cosmo in mine, and still get in and out, you have no excuse! :p
well there is always that i suppose
its just something else thats in the pipe line and probably will never happen :(
Plus you own a cab. Just leave the roof down and hop in and out.
well yeah there is always that i suppose mate !!! - and if its in the garage it wont matter
like i said - it just wont bloody fit :(
how i miss my car port from the old house
hello you long time no speak just to send best wishes for u and Mrs and kids all the best for new year
Thanks :D :D :D
bit of a oldish bump - think im on cover No 4 now
so not toooooooo bad :D
garage is still in a right state and not a cat in hells chance of getting the car in it ( been messing with the bike to get her running )
but less than £4 in covers - cant argue with that can I :D :D
And that is how to retain the title of
\'MRC tight A$$\' :Giggle
ha ha ha ooh yeah
although i havent got my 2010 Bargain hunter award yet ... hummmm will have to find something to buy ASAP
Followed the link in Grinders Signature, ended up here.
I bet you would collect the wind in paper bags if you could, then use it on hot days as air-con. ;)
^^ LOL
Im now using a genuine mazda cab roof cover .. so the car looks a bit better now :)
You should put a shower cap over that to protect it from the UV :)