Does anyone here cover their SE for winter storage? I am looking for recommendations on covers to protect the car. It would be parked in my driveway, and subject to wind and lots of snow. Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
I contacted CoverKing, a company that makes accessories, including custom-fitted car covers. Evidently they can't make slight variations to the patterns they've created. I wanted to know if they could shorten the antenna sock to accommodate my shorter MINI Sport Aerial Rod antenna, but they said no. Then I wondered if their standard MINI Hardtop pattern would fit the MINI Cooper SE. The rep was dubious: > Our car covers fit the curves of your vehicle's > body with beautifully placed mirror pockets. > Unfortunately, the small differences in the > aerodynamic grille and wheelbase sizes change > the car cover enough that it would potentially > bulge and strain against the fabric. Though they > are very similar vehicles, I couldn't guarantee > the Coverking Custom fit. You very likely know more about car covers than I do. Maybe you can give me some advice about using them in the winter. I've used my car covers only when there's a threat of hail, and I wash the dirt off my car before putting on the cover so the cover won't grind the dirt and damage the paint. I wouldn't want to drive through winter weather and then put my cover on over all the winter road-goop (salt, sand, dirt). Even if I washed the winter road-goop off my MINI before putting on the cover, what would I do with the cover when I was ready to drive again? Ideally, my cover will be clean and dry before I put it on again. I don't have room in my basement where I can hang the cover on a set of 6 chairs arranged to match the size of my MINI so the snow can melt and go down the basement drain. I don't want a one-size-fits-all car cover. So I'm still planning to buy one of these CoverKing covers, taking the chance that it can stretch over the SE's bulging grille, but I've got some time before it's hail season again. Maybe I can shorten the antenna sock myself. What good is a custom-fit car cover with a floppy sock?
The only other car I have covered was an S2000. I did not drive the S2000 at all in the winter. It stayed parked in a garage with the cover, and on jack stands. Obviously in this case, I cleaned the car, put the cover on, and didn't mess with it until spring. For the SE, I am debating whether I am going to do the same. Mostly to spare it from the salt assault we get from our roads. But that will depend on whether it remains a third car, or if we go back down to two cars.
