There are some limited circumstances in which you should use a car cover, such as potentially going out of town for a long time (our Fort Cavazos barracks soldiers) and being forced to park your vehicle outside where bird poop, hard water spots, and other contaminants could damage it. Ceramic coatings or PPF/clear bra/paint protection film are not impervious to damages of these types. So, we might reluctantly agree that car covers are appropriate in this situation, even though we generally dislike using them – in our Copperas Cove/Killeen/Harker Heights area, this is usually our Fort Cavazos clients!
Many of the same reasons the car cover is bad, are the same reasons these ugly bras are also bad. Keep that in mind when reading this article!
In general, your paint is fairly susceptible to scratching, even if you have ceramic coating on it. Clear bra/paint protection film will protect against these scratches, but ceramic coating will absolutely not. Even with PPF, over time, these car covers can scratch or scuff it enough to leave permanent marks.
A lot of times it’s not even the car cover itself, it is the method that the cover is attached. Many times they will have elastic, yet still have some method of tying it down for extreme weather.
For car bras (not clear bra/PPF – the ugly black/leather/mesh ones), they can flap in the wind while driving just like a car cover in the wind.
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When you use a car cover, it is almost impossible to keep the underside of the car cover as well as the surface of the car perfectly clean at all times. It gets particular dusty in the Central Texas area. This is the same issue with these leather and mesh bras – they get dirt trapped underneath. When there is dust or debris trapped between your car’s clearcoat and the car cover/leather bra, it is no different than rubbing your car with a dirty rag (maybe even worse, in some instances). This is whether or not the car is inside or out, as even inside, the car cover may move or brush against the paint. If the cover or the bra is left to flap in the wind or weather, it can abrade the paint entirely down to the primer, metal, or substrate.
Outside, the situation is far more dire. Even a well-tied down, perfectly fitting car cover (or leather/mesh bra), will move in the wind. The tie-down methods as well as the car cover itself will move, abrading the paint and removing any ceramic coating from the surface. Remember that ceramic coating creates a semi-permanent bond with your paint, making the only way to remove it is with an abrasive material. A car cover with dirt trapped between the underside and the ceramic coating will certainly act as that abrasive material, just like a compound or polish will abrade the ceramic coating off (or an automatic car wash brush).
You would think that you cannot get dirt between the cover, leather/mesh bra, and the ceramic coating/paint if the cover is on, but that isn’t the case. It’s bound to get some dirt, however small, under there. If you’ve lived in the Copperas Cove/Killeen/Ft Cavazos area for awhile, you know that parking a car outside for even 15 minutes can attract dust. And even if it doesn’t, the constant movement of the material against the ceramic-coated surface (or bare paint surface if you have yet to purchase ceramic coating or PPF/clear bra) will damage the paint.
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Harker Heights Ceramic Coatings began in 2021 with the goal of providing central Texas with premium vehicle detailing. Every service ensures long-lasting paint enhancement and renewed vehicle value. I believe in open communication and creating a lasting relationship with my clients by providing high-quality services that are tailor-made for your unique vehicle. Through the art of applying professional-grade ceramic coatings, a self-healing clear bra, performing paint correction, and my full-vehicle detailing services, every customer will receive top-tier protection with a showroom-worthy finish.
CALL (254) 550-4142
Harker Heights Ceramic Coatings is open seven days per week!
103 S Main St, Nolanville, TX 76559, United States of America
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