How to protect your new car from the weather without a garage? (vehicle, best)

[Townandcountrygal]

I might have to buy a new car but don't have a garage, carport, and probably won't have money for a metal type canopy either. Would a canvas type cover specific to the car model protect it much? I live at NM high desert--lots of wind, sun, and dirt, not to mention rodents.

[joee5]

Wax can't hurt

[M3 Mitch]

I wouldn't use a cover in a dirty, windy environment. Dirt gets under it, wind blows it around, scratches the devil out of your paint.

This might be a place where it makes sense to even borrow money to put up one of those "$795 installed!" metal awnings, maybe on a concrete pad. Buy CPO instead of new and spend some of your savings on the shed.

You mostly need sun protection, and that mostly during summer.

[rbohm]

car covers can be useful, but like mitch said, they can also be a problem. it depends on the car cover you get, and how you tie it down, as to how effective is can be. it also depends on where you park the car as well. if you can keep it out of the wind, it helps.

[Nothere1]

I don't know how bad the wind is where you are, but I have heard the sun is killer. Could you possibly afford/make a cheap canvas carport?
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=canvas+carport
Of course this might not work if wind is too high.

[eddie1278]

Ahh the joys of owning a used vehicle where i don't have to worry about nicks or scratches

[TrapperL]

McKees Paint Coating. It's an acrylic based nano-ceramic coating that will coat the paint. It will last most likely in your environment 2 years, maybe 3. Nothing will stick to it and the flying dust in the wind won't abrade it. It yields a generally high shine but not near the shine of a good carnauba wax. But carnauba you'll be doing every other month. On a new car, you can use their polish to prep the finish or you can buy several bottles of cheap isopropyl alcohol and give the paint a good stripping of grease and oils before applying the McKees Paint Coating. I'd also suggest buying the applicators at the same time. The coating comes in a 4oz spray bottle and the key to it is to apply it as thin as possible. You can layer it if you like. A 4oz bottle will do about 5 cars or 3ea 4 door trucks. If you just want the high shine of carnauba, apply the McKees and give it at least a week to cure and then apply a good carnauba wax for the shine. The carnauba will not remove or hurt the McKees.

Paint Coating, nano paint sealant, ceramic paint coating, nano paint coating

[Pruzhany]

The materials mixed with current painting techniques, cars don't really need to be covered anymore. Depending on the weather conditions of your area, take it for a full car wash every one to three months.

[Townandcountrygal]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

I wouldn't use a cover in a dirty, windy environment. Dirt gets under it, wind blows it around, scratches the devil out of your paint.

This might be a place where it makes sense to even borrow money to put up one of those "$795 installed!" metal awnings, maybe on a concrete pad. Buy CPO instead of new and spend some of your savings on the shed.

You mostly need sun protection, and that mostly during summer.

Thanks! Yes, sounds like it's best to find a way to get a metal shed installed.

[OotsaPootsa]

Ugh. Garage it. Even if you have to move.

I can't tell you how many relatively late-model cars I've seen in the high desert with a "Southwest suntan"....the UV bakes the top clear coat and oxidizes it.