To Garage or not To Garage

[jojo77]

I have been having a hard time finding a garage locally and have now contacted my council to rent one of theirs...but there is up to a 2-3 years waiting line with 40 people already in front of me, so it looks like if I buy a dmc it'll be living under a car cover on my driveway for a while at least.

I don't use my modern car except at the weekends (supermarket & such) so the dmc would replace that and be used every weekend and my question is: is a decent car cover good enough while I wait? (ie, not a £8 thing off ebay)
If the eventual garage is one from the council it probably won't be outside my door so the car may even get used less than if it was sleeping outside my door.
If one of my neighbours agree to sell me theirs then there is no issue....but sales are rare & none of them are interested right now.


thanks

ps. it's not a real driveway...but it is off road and private, but there can be no physical structures only car covers and not even those clam shell type things unless they are not attached to the ground...really its only the skin type that I can use.
my modern car lives under cover....so much summer tree sap falls on it during the working week it bugs me the first thing I need to do at the weekend is wash it.

[Chris Hawes]

When I bought my car in January 2002 I wasn't in a position to garage it until May 2005. I was able to do this as where I was living was private (away from main roads).



A good quality frost proof/UV proof cover will protect it fine and air flow around it will do it good.

Ensure that the insurance quotes are viable based on your post code and that it won't be garaged. Installing an alarm or at least a steering wheel lock would be highly recommended.

[Rissy]

Oh dear. Not a nice life for the car by the sounds of it. A bit unfair on a classic car?

I have a rather nice all year round car cover. It cost I think between £250 and £300. It is superb. But, this doesn't stop the car sweating and being covered in condensation underneath, especially when it's wet weather. My car is garaged and I only use the cover for short term use now and then, not permanent habitation.

There are others in the club who keep their car on their drive under a car cover and they seem to get along ok with that.

Saying this though, a car cover isn't going to stop the car being exposed to chancers and potential valdals (not knowing where you live, so not knowing what your surrounding neighbourhood is like?) but to be fair, you get undesirable sorts everywhere. The are many parts on these cars worth good money.

As for council garages, I looked into this and my end conclusion was "sod that". Once people know what's in there and that it's not monitored 24/7, then out creep the chancers again. A member here has already had an attempted break-in (to do what we don't know, since they actually failed, but only after they had busted up a lock and scratched the bodywork around it). The vehicle swiftly got moved location to take it away from that known location. Imagine the same thing happening to you, but then having to wait another 4 years to find a different garage again.

I think personally, you should set up a proper home for the car first, and then keep it safe beside you in nice conditions. These ARE classic cars after all, and they deserve a nicer life at these old ages compared to your run of the mill modern shopping car.

This is all just my 2p ith of course.

[Chris Williams]

It's an odd one because the cars can be vunerable either in or out of a garage reading the above posts. We have members that keep them parked out on the street all the time with no issues and some stored under car covers again with no issues. I guess it's down to the 'luck of the draw' really. I have done all the above as well with no issues, most people are respectful of the car and what it is. If someone wants to they will get to it even if it's in a garage it seems.
Chris

[jojo77]

Thanks for this advice, I live in a pretty affluent area and I don't think there are too many dodgy scumbags around but it would be getting an alarm and probably a tracker anyway as you never know.
I was just concerned if the downsides to a cover were outwayed by the fact that it'd be more convienient and diven more V's sleeping in a garage and taken out for special events.

I'll go ahead with my plan to purchase and wait for a suitable garage....either through relocation or purchase.

thanks

[jwrayth]

I'm the owner Rissy mentions above. I kept my car stored outside in the summer when I lived in the Cotswolds and had no issues, but then moving up to Edinburgh it was only 3 weeks before some scumbags tried to get into the car in a "secure" gated garage. I had to then store the car at an off-site facility until I could find a more secure lock-up to keep her in.

And just this weekend I popped the car-cover on her whilst doing a weekend trip, and woke up in the morning to find the car cover had been yanked off the car and fingerprints all over the windows and doors No attempted break-in this time, but obviously somebody saw me parking up in the Hotel and decided they wanted a closer look.

Luck of the draw really covers it... and I apparently have a really bad hand

[Rissy]

...and people wonder why I'm paranoid about where I leave the car and for how long.

I just like to remove as much temptation from people as possible. At the end of the day, it only takes one person to leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Not everyone is respectful of classic cars, let alone other people's property.

You choose your circumstances to the best of your capability and you take your chance. Pretty much sums it up really.

If you want more details of my car cover (although it's been covered more than once already on other threads here) then just say and I can give you more info.

Chris W is good at finding past threads and digging them out...

[Doive]

I'm paranoid about securing our car. I've ordered one of the super duper fancy fitted car covers, as she will be living outside during the summer, but safely tucked away in very secure storage for the winter. We have made a space in front of the house right below our bedroom window - there is a wall behind, another car parked to the side, and my daily car parked in front to box it in during the night. We live in a very quiet area, but word has got around of a DMC in the area, and there have been lots of 'tourists' up to see the car. As it sits now, it can't be seen from the road, and someone would have to go looking for it. We also have quite a few elderly neighbours who keep an eye out for anything untoward during the day.

I'm hoping once I get our project car out of the garage, the Delorean can take up residence.

[Dan Willis]

I had mine under a cover for several years. There are things you cannot control - cats for one. I spent a small fortune on covers and again, there are things that can annoy. For instance, high winds moving the cover and wearing at the painted bits for example... it was one of my primary reasons for selling; I didn't feel I could look after mine

Anyway, my 2p.

[Darren C]

jojo77 Wrote:ps. it's not a real driveway...but it is off road and private, but there can be no physical structures only car covers and not even those clam shell type things unless they are not attached to the ground...really its only the skin type that I can use.
my modern car lives under cover....so much summer tree sap falls on it during the working week it bugs me the first thing I need to do at the weekend is wash it.

Is it land attached to your property?
Is the property rented?
Is the land within your property boundary?
Is the land owned by a 3rd party?

The "terms" you suggest seem complete nonsense (not pegged down etc)

I heavily researched the law regarding permanent & temporary structures including framed car covers before I built my latest and 6th large garage on my property where all normal rules meant I could only have 2 garages maximum. If you look into it you can cover your whole land in garages if you wanted too AS LONG as you meet certain rules and there's no planning required :wink:

Pm me with your circumstances, I can offer you some advice.

[jojo77]

Agreed, it would probably make more sense if i posted a picture of my 'driveway' before asking for advice.

pm sent, but here's a safe public photo

[Darren C]

As a communal through road for residents of your block of flats with no allocated bay parking, leasehold and covenant on not pegging down covers to the tarmac, parallel parking only so no “drive car straight out” access, your limited to just a good car cover.
Not really a suitable address for a classic car. I’d look to local council, local private managed social housing companies for vacant ex-council garaging. A lot of private managed social housing companies have vacant garages on ex council estates since many tenants who have the housing paid by DHSS don’t meet the credit rating to qualify for the rental agreements on the garages that used to be allocated per dwelling.
Again local knowledge will determine how secure a place it is to leave your car. Maybe a friend or relative could help, as wherever you keep a Delorean will attract interest.
Had it been land within your property boundary or not communal, I could have helped you.
Alternatively, buy a house with a garage attached!
Good Luck

[Chris P]

It may be worth knocking on doors of local houses….especially bungalows and see if they will rent you theirs….offer to clear it out if its full of junk. Got to be worth a try.

[Doive]

Our car is now safely tucked away in the garage, as a local mob of scumbags have been going around torching classic cars. One has been arrested, but I expect they will receive a day's fire training and a box of matches from the local magistrates.

[lukebrynycz]

To answer the question in the simplest way, garage :wink:

I wouldn't risk a Delorean outside all the time. From my experience with cars and vandalism/theft, the 'better' the area, the more it happens. Thieves don't go robbing their own filthsvilles.