looking to upgrade my garage , any ideas

 

That makes two of us. I am down the street from you in Sunnyvale, and it is soon going to be Rainyvale, and I must park the shark exposed at work. I have the option of parking under some redwood trees and risk dents from pine cones dropping on my car + bird droppings, or under a partial balcony that faces South and my car frys all day long. The cover protects against the sun part of the time, but when it is raining, the rain drips off of the balcony and gives "drip line" on the paint which I hope to prevent this year using Rejex. If I owned the building, things would be different. I have beer tearing my hair out for a solution, and will keep thinking about it.

 

Park car on a suitable tarp. Cheap soft cover over the top first, and secure it via its cord UNDER the car to the other side
Then a huge tarp over that, and tie the corners around the car ... Never comes off, no water gets in and nothing else.

 

How good were your anchors?

If not too great.... go to Home Depot/Lowes and get some short pieces of rebar. Usually 36" long and about $.80 each.

Use a vise and oxy-acetlyne torch to make a 95-degree bend in the end each of them, a few inches down. These make fantastic tent pegs, depending on the soil they're driven into.

Note that you need a serious torch to get them hot enough, propane won't do it, small oxy/mapp *can* do it, and oxy-acetylene will work beautifully. Heat the smallest area possible, and have the vise pre-opened to just let the rebar slip in. No need to tighten the vise for each bend.

 

If you anchor it all to the car, the car would have to blow away before the covers left your yard ..... wrap it like a package

 

i agree, for a tarp/cover solution the best thing is to anchor it to the car.

If you're using a portable garage/canopy thingie, anchoring to the car is NOT a good idea... if the canpoy collapses under high wind pressure, it will remain attached to the car and beat it to death.... much like skis with "leashes" rather than "brakes" when you've taken a good spill.

 

But....if the wind blows like a banshee a good part of the winter, you'd need to make sure the tarp is well secured and tight, otherwise it would chaff the paint as it moves around...right? Kinda like a bra can do on the front of the car... only all over your car. I like Henrich's idea of putting a tarp underneath also...just make sure you don't box in moisture...otherwise...electrical gremlins in the spring! Indoor storage is best if you can pull it off. What about a rental storage unit just barely big enough to fit your car in? I haven't priced them so I don't know if they're worth it. I'm eyeing my neighbor's HEATED garage if I get another car this winter.

Harvey

 

"am about ready to hire my buddy to build me a garage!"