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MG Midget and Sprite General - Cover vs Garage

Hi Guys,

Does anyone keep a midget outside? Wondering how quickly it rusts into the ground and whether its worth investing in a good cover from the MGOC site.

Obviously I'd prefer to keep it garaged... but garages in London are not easy to come by and cost 10x as much as the car is worth!

We're not talking a showroom car here, its a battered up 79 1500 midget, I just don't want it to rust to pieces.

Thoughts appreciated...
C L Carter

Imho covers are the evil work of satan and should be avoided like the plague.

Just wax all the cavitys and underseal the underside.
Wash it (certainly during winter) a lot and you will be fine
Onno Könemann

I keep all my cars outside and some are covered and others are not. The thing about covers is that they are better on frequently used cars and they must be very clean and dry first - which can be a slight problem - and breathable as well.
rachmacb

I use a cover on the P6, only because it fills its drives side sill up with water if left in the rain. It never stays on for more than a couple of days though, and it's not gone rusty yet.

Midget lives in a dampish garage but would probably have a cover on over the hardtop if it had to live outside.

IMO cover is probably better than nothing, but only if it gets taken off now and again and the car driven about. Stops the bird poo as well.

Also don't buy a 30 quid one from ebay cos it'll fall apart the first time you use it....
Rob Armstrong

I've already wasted £20 on a "water resistant" cover from ebay... more like... water absorbant... it is actually worse than nothing at all.

I like the sound of thia... but I'm also thinking about buying the £150 tailored one from MGOC. I plan to be using it every weekend (unless there is grit on the road!) So the cover will be coming off and the car getting chance to breathe.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-Midget-Waterproof-car-cover-/250852371451?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item3a67f76bfb

C L Carter

As Rach says, car must be clean and dry, but also not hot. Outdoor covers run the risk of grit blowing up under them and getting onto the paintwork where it will get rubbed by the movement of the cover. Not a desireable situation.

Bernie.
b higginson

As Rach says, car must be clean and dry, but also not hot. Outdoor covers run the risk of grit blowing up under them and getting onto the paintwork where it will get rubbed by the movement of the cover. Not a desireable situation.

Bernie.
b higginson

I've used these - http://www.cover-systems.co.uk/

door zips can be usedful

these are very light covers

heavy or light you'll need two people to put on covers and straps when it's windy

trouble with covers is that it puts you off using the car as it needs to be clean before you put the cover on

you could just use a hood cover to stop leaks from there

semi-tailored means the cover is for a range of cars

personally I wouldn't bother with a cover if you intend to drive the car fairly regularly
N Atkins

Some years ago I coudn't use my Midget for about 4 years, but wanted to keep it so I bought a "Hamilton Classics" tailored cover for the Midget which now I think would cost over £100, it was £80ish then.

I wasn't able to check how the car was during the 4 years but once I could get it back on the road, I took the cover off with some trepidation but the car was just as I had left it.
Paintwork as before, no rust on bumpers or other exposed metal parts and no feeling of dampness or condensation inside.
It didn't have that awful neglected smell that unused/unloved cars seem to get.

I was impressed and glad I had spent the money on an expensive-ish cover rather than cut corners.

A good cover that is fleece lined and breathes, is much better than a damp garage.
JB Anderson

I'm using a Hamilton cover with the windows slightly ajar.

The car has dried out inside since it's last wet outing a couple of weeks ago and smells delicious.

Ian
I Ball

for a couple of years I had a 'Classic Additions' 'Heavyduty Waterproof' outdoor, vented, cotton lined and wasn't impressed with it especially after around 2 years old it leaked at the seams and the manufacturer's repair kit was basically tape and glue

wind is a problem even when putting these heavy covers on and off and when fitted they need to be well secured or they can blow off the car

car must be dry before fitting these cotton lined covers
N Atkins

Humm, this is a simular question to the one posed my thread last week I think. Not the same level of emotion in the responces though!
P Ottewell

here he is the spoon, muscling in on the unholy trinity of Prop, Lawrence and I

back to the OP all my classics have been kept outside for the last 20 years

my present Midget is coming up to its fifth winter outside
N Atkins

He he ;p
P Ottewell

P
I tried to start them off but nu luck this time ;)
Onno Könemann

My GT sits outside in Scotland under a multi-layer outdoor cover. The cover does not guarantee to keep the car dry, and after heavy rain there is dampness on the car, but because the cover is breathable and a reasonably loose fit, it dries off. The inner lining is soft and does not damage the paint. In fact the car keeps in brilliant condition under the cover. Two things you must not do - never put it on a dirty car (you can put it on a wet car), and brush off snow as this prevents the cover from breathing. Really excellent thing - expensive, but then good things are.
Mike Howlett

P Ottewell,
"Humm, this is a simular question to the one posed my thread last week I think. Not the same level of emotion in the responces though! "

lol. I think the reason is threefold.

Firstly you talked about putting your beloved away for the winter. That's akin to cavorting with the devil to some folks on here. :)

Secondly Yours is a 1275, AKA a pure-breed. Whereas, C L Carter has a mixed-breed Triumph thingy. :P. Your 1275 drew more venom accordingly, because it was deemed the greater sin. Note: I have just donned a tin hat.

Thirdly, You posted first, and most of the emotion dissipated on your post. lol.

CL Carter,
My Sprite lived on a busy road in Streatham for over 14 years with no cover. Rust wasn't a problem, but I did buy a hard top when the roof was slashed. I suspect a cover would probably have encouraged even greater acts of vandalism. Let it breath and save the money for a new soft top when yours gets slashed. And btw, don't bother locking the doors. Might prevent the thieves ripping the roof open to get in. If you could get a garage, it would be better, but yup the cost these days is crazy.
Lawrence Slater

Mike of Troon, I am in Scotland too and I think we may have the same make of cover as I would, word for word, agree with everything you say.
They really are excellent.
JB Anderson

Wow, that's more like it lawrence! Hows that for a responce to the spoon eh Neil... You guys have been at it longer than me so I bow to your experience. I'm waiting to see how the weather pans out. I'm gonna keep driving until the salt arrives but she may have to go in the garage for a couple of months. I want to strip the carbs during the winter.
P Ottewell

Lawrence, I am also kinda worried about the roof getting slashed. Especially as its just been replaced! Might buy a hardtop instead of a cover then - that way at least my roof won't get destroyed and my new carpet set will stay nice and dry.

C L Carter

My Halfords cover cost £50, and has covered the Midget for the past year. It keeps it dry and hasn't damaged the paintwork. However its main function is to make the car less noticeable as I live in the kind of area where people steal hanging baskets. Whether it actually has an effect though...
BH Harvey

Hi Bill,

Doesn't seem to make much difference where you live these days with respect to getting the roof slashed. The morons are everywhere sadly.
Lawrence Slater

Would you make an insurance claim for your slashed roof? Or is it not worth the extra premium?

C L Carter

I'd ask them how much it would increase your premium. How big is your excess?

I trust this isn't a question AFTER the event?
Lawrence Slater

No not yet. I'm so paranoid about the whole thing though (its a brand new roof you see).

My excess is £50 - so could be worth it. I didn't think they'd be able to tell me if I asked them.

C L Carter

bear in mind your future increased premiums on this car and all other cars you are named on, for the next 5 years perhaps, and the excess you'll loose - you have to balance the toal cost of those against the total cost of repair

if you report an accident or damage and then don't claim even though you didn't claim this could still increase your future premiums - think about it you have proved the risk to your car

some people could also be informing their insurance companies by posting details on web sites :)

ETA: I don't mean you as you've not had damage yet - just perhaps worrying about something that might not happen but you know your area better than I
N Atkins

I'm in Nigels camp here. I treat my insurance as a nasty parasitic legal neccessity.

I would only claim if the damage was bad enough to ensure I got about 10 or so years worth of premiums out of them.

The trouble with a hood slasher, is that your claim would be deemed "own fault", and would likely cost you dearly in the long run. Better buy a hard top. But even then you can come unstuck. I had a rear quater glass smashed in mine soon after I got it. if it had been the rounded rear screen, I suppose the h/top would have been scrap as you can't get the spare screen for it. sad to say, it's just life today. I consider myself very fortunate now to have an integral garage on my house. I feel for you.

Lawrence Slater

Hardtop I think is the way to go - despite the fact I hate how it looks and I won't want to drive with it... still, £130 not bad. Might keen my fresh new interior nice a dry too.

C L Carter

Just moved to a new house. I might juuuuuuust be able to get the Lenham Midget into one of the smaller garages on the property. :o)))
The Lenham survived outside the old house for 5 years without any noticeable rust other than the damaged bit on one door and the seam below the area where the rear wing met the sill. The best thing I ever did was to remove the carpets and paint the floor with decent paint. Kept the rot from spreading outwards.

The main garage (not shown) on the side of the house is where I am going to keep the aeroplane.

r thomas

I'm very happy to pay car insurance and treat it as a necessary item to cover my mistakes

I am very upset that those that don't get car insurance don't have their cars and other bits crushed

car insurance helps to look after innocent victims of accidents, careless and dangerous driving not just for cosmetic scratches and dinks in lumps of painted metal
N Atkins

This thread was discussed between 03/11/2011 and 07/11/2011

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