VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions CAR COVER RUINED PAINT

Hi,

I purchased a "100% waterproof fleece lined" car cover from carcover.com and it has stained my hood.

I was having work done in my garage so I parked my 76 outside with the new car cover I had just received. I was our of town for 2 weeks and upon my return I removed the cover and found a big milky stain on the left side of my hood. Stain is about 18 inches by 4 inches. I immediately contacted the car cover customer service dept. and they refused to help. First thing they said was, " we're not responsible for damage caused by the cover". Spoke to a sales rep and he said that on 70's original polly paint this happens often. He said its fixable but refused to tell me how to fix it. He didn't want the responsibility.

After speaking for a body shop recommended by a friend and collector and from what I've been able to see online, this stain is humidity that is caught between the primer and the paint. They all said the same thing. Leave the car uncovered out in the sun for couple of days and it will clear by itself. Well I've had the car out already a few days (4) and the stain is still there with no change. Im in South Florida and we've been having a few rain showers daily. Although the day is mostly sunny. I have not put any cleaner, wax, polish or anything not wanting to get it worse.

If any of you guys know about this or have a fix to it, please let me know. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Chad

Hi Chad,

Welcome to VCCA Chat.

Maybe there is someone who can help you if we have some more details abut the car and the paint. What is the year and model of the car? Do you know if that is the original factory paint or has the car been repainted?

The situation you are describing is exactly why I am not a fan of car covers, especially for outdoor use. Even so-called "breathable" covers trap moisture especially if they get soaked in heavy rain. I have used some light weight covers as dust covers for indoor storage, I am sorry to hear that the cover supplier is not willing to help in any way.

To be truthful, I have never heard of the discoloration going away if contamination is trapped between the layers of coatings. If it is truly contamination between layers I doubt if any cleaner, polish, wax, glaze or sealant will remove it. Those only tend to remove surface defects.

Sounds like a real sh#*^tty paint job if it got between layers. Just saying. Usually the 2nd coat is sprayed before the 1st coat dries etc. so they bond to make one thick coat. The primer wasn't sanded properly to let the paint adhere to it. Prep is everything on a paint job.

This is original 1976 paint. Car has never been painted. Bought it from original owner. Only has 32K miles. The paint is laquer which doesn't have a clear gloss. So no, not shitty paint job.

Hi Rusty

Thanks for trying to help me.

The car has original paint. Never been painted. I have spoken to a couple of body shops that I know in the area and both have told me the same thing. To keep the car outside in the sun for a few days and the humidity will start disappearing. Again, they both were telling me how bad are those water proof car covers. They also suggested I use a hair dryer and patiently blow hot air. I tried that this afternoon and I can see the edge of the stain getting lighter. I must have been there for at least 1 1/2 hours. The blow dryer is a very slow process.

I will try to keep you posted here on the forum with any new information.

Take care,

Chad

I dont use cloth or other car covers that touch the paint as I have seen some the entire roof rusted beyond repair (admittedly several years under the cover) due to condensation collecting under the cover, would be better to leave it uncovered.
Tony

Another reason to avoid using a car cover on a vehicle parked outside is that, no matter how securely it is attached at the outset, the wind will eventually work the fastenings loose enough that the cover will rub against the paint somewhere and wear right through to the prime sooner or later.

This is the first time I've used a car cover for the outside. It was a temporary fix because my garage was being remodeled so that's the reason the car was outside for 2 weeks, actually 10 days. I know better now, unfortunately. Thanks for all your comments.

Thanks for the details about the car. I assume it is some model of Chevy. What color is it?

I wonder if there is a way to determine which factory painted the car when it was built. Maybe you can do that through an analysis of the Vehicle identification Number (VIN).

That might help you better determine the chemistry of the paint on the car. That might give more clues about how to fix it.

Paint systems are unique to each factory. They typically are designed and installed to apply certain types of paints. In many cases they can not be adapted to newer paint chemistries. At any one time there could be multiple factories painting the same color but each factory is using a different type of paint or chemistry or even application method.

Hi Rusty

The car is 1975. Paint is # 64 Persimmon. It's like a burnt orange color. The paint is original, car never been repainted. So no clear coat just the Polly Laquer Paint.

So far after a week, the sun has cleared the milky stain a bit but we've been having a lot of rain so it's taken a while to see some improvement.
I saw on youtube yesterday that a heat gun can do the job. So I took my heat gun in the lowest setting and I've been able to clear some of the stain and bring paint back to glossy look. It has taken me 1/2 a day to clear 1/4 inch. So I see this will be a long process.

I had another stain on my trunk lid about 1 1/2 inch in circumference. I started there this morning and it's all gone. That stain was a lot lighter than what I have on my hood.

We'll keep working with the heat gun and being very careful don't want to crack the paint.

If anyone out there has a better solution, please let me know.

Again, Rusty thanks for your assistance.

Chad

THE STAIN MAY BE MORE IN THE WAX AND NOT THE PAINT. i BELIEVE IN TIME IT WILL DISAPPEAR.

Chad,

I think that Rusty has gone the extra mile in trying to help and that others have, as well.

As to the line "leave it out in the sun for a few days and it will go away" or words to that effect may be like those at the small used car dealership when one is told to "just keep driving it and the problem will go away", again or words to that effect.

You didn't mention whether the car had a recent wax job or not so Gene's comment may have merit.

I have used best grade Walmart car covers for a long time on 41s and others. The cars have been left out in the rain, for quite a while with no damage to the paint. Accordingly, I really doubt your cover was the sole and/or primary cause of the splotch.

Good luck with figuring it out. When you do get to the bottom of this dilemma please let us know what it was .

Best,

Charlie

FYI: Paint is thin on corners and edges,,so when I remove or put on a cover I don't drag it over those thin areas I make sure to lift it.

I put my "fleet" away yesterday for the winter and thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I have never had a problem with my car covers. I purchased both covers over 30 years ago. This will be the second year for my newly restored 1950 in the car cover. However, the vehicle on the left has the same brand of cover on for over 30 years. At one point, this car sat (inside) covered for over 20 years without removing it. And it's paint is the original factory paint from 1934. I use a Car Bag for that car and the manufacture states that a car cover be used under the Car Bag. The cover came from Reliable Auto Accessories in Anaheim CA. I don't think they are in business anymore. They are just made of a cloth material and no poly. Good luck with your fogging problem.

Hi Hawkeye,

I can understand why you have been pleased with the car covers you have used over the years. They do a great job of protecting the finish when the vehicle is stored inside. They stop dirt and dust from collecting on the vehicle.

If you read the original post the problem occurred when he parked the car outside with the cover on it. My observations are that this is not a good situation. Moisture whether from rain or condensation due to temperature changes gets trapped between the cover and the paint. The cover is constantly moving on the paint due to wind.

Rusty, I realize that this car sat outside. It's like laying clear plastic over a green shrub in the direct sun while painting around it. The greenhouse affect will cook the plant. I just thought this post gave car covers a bad wrap overall.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda doesn't help the OP. If it's an external stain that hasn't fully penetrated the paint a gentle buffing by a professional detailer might remove it. If the stain has fully penetrated the paint you have two choices, live with it or repaint. If I were in your shoes I'd be in contact with a product liability attorney. Good luck.