So I sold my house and moving to a rental. Right on the water by the bay near Annapolis Md. My 67 will have to sit outside for the first time in 24 years. It's not perfect, some rust underneath already, but the paint is in great shape.
I need to pick up a quality cover...any suggestions?

thanks
Hef

Can You put up one of those fabric garages,better than nothing.
http://www.christonium.com/home/steel-fabric-garage-in-a-box-carport-shelter-home-depot

This has potential to be somewhat of a double-whammy in my opinion. Parking outside is one thing...but parking outside "right on the water by the bay" in Maryland, I see potential disaster. High humidity with ocean salt in the air...spraying all over during storms & hurricane season...although you'll be somewhat protected deep in the bay which might help some. But I say "potential" disaster because I do not know the local area, you might know it better, and how steel objects respond to living right in that location on that bay. But MD also strikes me as a wet place with quite a lot of rain, with cold winters that dip well below freezing and occasional snow. This whole climate/location combo seems about as far as you can get from good outdoor storage, if you want to preserve a car.

I do not have experience with outdoor covers. But no cover, nor fabric garage, will keep humidity and microscopic salt spray at bay, assuming that exists where you will live.

Is your car a daily driver?

If not, I might seriously consider paying for rental storage off-site, maybe a few miles inland from the water, in a storage facility.

I agree with crazycars.

Have a lot of experience in this area (coastal MA) I'm afraid my advice is to pay for climate controlled storage or sell it. Cover or not, it will deteriorate. If you must keep it outside, put a heavy plastic tarp under it. The moisture that wicks up from the ground is just as bad as what comes from the sky.

Buy one of those zipper up car bags. I bought one a few years back when I stored my car outside with no garage. It is a huge cover that you drive your car on top of and then zip it shut. Basically an all weather car cover tarp that zips shut. I put several of the big silicon gel packs for moisture absorbtion and a few bars of ivry spring soap in there before I zipped it shut. After winter It is dry as the desert and smeels clean too. No varmits and no rust. Sort of something like this. http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/20A50302A1.aspx

Please don't park outside cover or no cover.

Does the soap keep the varmints away, or just keep it smelling clean?
I've been using moth balls to keep the mice away, but I don't care for the smell. I think it's been pretty effective though. I've also been told moth balls are toxic and my youngest is still at the age where he likes to taste things like that, so I wouldn't mind getting away from moth balls.

What about wind rain and snow? Does it need to be tied down?

Bummer, I know it's bad, and I certainly hope to get out of this situation quickly,. I will already be paying for storage, moving from a 3600 sq ft home to a small little place with no garage or basement. Signing a 10 month lease, taking me through August 2012. Really dont want to pay for another to garge the car.

The car will have some protection from wind.

No it is not a daily driver at all. I can see parking it and not touching it till next April.

Will look into the zipper bag:) The tarp underneath sounds good, still looking for a recommendation on a good quality cover.

So I will be living right next to a boat marina. They do that Shrinkwrap thing to boats. How about shrink wrapping my bird?

So I'm still looking into things. The Zipper bags look promising. I know they are not meant for outdoor use, but here is what I'm planning.
Heavy tarp on the ground -
Zipper Bag on tarp -
Car Cover on car -
Lots of moisture absorbing material inside -
Zip up bag -
Heavy Tarp on Top -
Tie the Two Tarps together through the eyelets -

The One I have can be used outdoors and I have used it that way. It zippers shut pretty tight. I will sell you mine if you like? I am not using it. Its in perfect shape. The only thing about my zipper car bag was it was for like a big huge buick. So my FB looks very small in this huge bag. Wasn't that big of deal as I just rolled up the end and pushed it under the car out of the way. They do make ones that are the exact size. email me at sammypoodle03053@yahoo.com . I can send you pictures.

Yeah...it sounds like you're considering this arrangement to be somewhat temporary, with 10 month lease, etc. So if you're just wanting to build a car-coccoon to last a year, and you are not wanting/needing to have convenient access for occasional drives, then I do believe your planned method would likely do a good job of keeping it preserved in most any environment...just occasionally monitor for rips or sun rot to make sure there are no breaches in plastic during that time.

Also keep in mind that storage for that length of time will require mechanical attention. I'd recommend either completely full tank of gas with stabilization (and possibly discarding the fuel after storage timeframe...or burning it off a few gallons at a time in a daily driver diluted with something fresher), or maybe even a completely drained tank would be better to prevent your vented tank from making the ENTIRE interior from accumulating massive gas fumage odors in that sealed environment. I believe the inside of that bag is gonna stink BADLY if you completely seal it and it never vents off the evaporating gas. Battery should be removed, change all fluids, maybe relieve the tension on the valve springs, squirt some oil into each cylinder and turn motor over slowly by hand a couple times, jackstand all 4 tires off the ground to prevent flat-spotting, etc...there are long topics and chapters in books, with varying opinions, written on the whole long-term storage routine. Just bear in mind that you will certainly need to do more than just bury it in a bag, if you're wanting it to run right when you're done...

I would be very concerned about condensation and mold growth on the inside of a sealed bag like that. Especially in the summer months. It would have to somehow be ventilated. Bagging your car during a cold winter is generally fine because you don't have the warm, moist air to contend with, but bagging your car in a humid environment is asking for trouble. Some sort of temporary metal shelter/garage is likely the direction you need to go.

With all the reports of the storm damage, I was wondering how your car fared, as well as anyone else on the East coast. Hopefully you're all safe and hopefully your cars have also survived.

I was thinking the same thing.

Floating down the Potomac?

if so , my sister might
see it.....drifting by....lol

they are just abv the river about 20 min out of DC

I was thinking of Hef myself the other day. Hope that tarp held on.

Maybe the zippered bag helped float it above sea level?

I didn't experience anything like NJ or NY did, but I can tell you here in So. NH a tarp or zippered bag wasn't going to make it through Sandy.

I found a garage to store & work on my car for $50 a month, surely could find a similar deal to store your car.


Steve

Thanks for the concerns everyone. I have not moved yet. We rode through Sandy with the Bird in my garage. I have taken the urging advice here and have procured a storage unit large enough for my car. It is not Climate controlled, but it is clean and dry. I will driving the car down there tomorrow or Friday. It will be the longest drive for the car in about 20 months. All of about 75 miles, should be no problem.

excellent...

make sure its insured in that garage....not sure how many here recall Gerrits car burn in a garage fire in Netherlands a few yrs ago....no insurance on the car as he couldnt by Dutch rules as it was "under construction" and the rented garage was unisured...second floor apt also had a piano that fell on top of the car.....just a heads up.