hello,

I've been looking for a cover to keep the rain off my 2003 xj8 4.2 long wheelbase but been having trouble getting one to fit.

(I've done a search of the forum, apologies if I've missed a similar post)
​​​​​​I'm not great with the internet so don't use much other than eBay to buy stuff, so that's where I've been looking. there's a thing where you can check your car, but nothing seems to fit.

i don't want to break the bank, so I'm happy with a decent used one if need be.
can someone point me in the right direction please?

I'm in UK
thank you in advance, m

 

Not trying to be negative at all here.
Read that covers scratch the paint.
Trap moisture, conducive to rust, mold, & mildew.
Carport or better yet garage space

 

Far too often true.

Some environments, bare-nekked in the sun (no trees, saps, or leaves, please!) even lasts longer if but well-but-gently washed, and often.

Heavy industry, acid rains, major mill, heavy commuter traffic, or coal-fired power plant in the area?

Bend Dover, grab your ankles, kiss you clear-coated patootie "Good Bye!"

Cover only covers the tragedy.

Washington Metro area's only heavy industry is mass-production of the hot-air of outrageous lies, and those are aimed right over our heads at gullible major city populations, so paints last longer here than even pre-embalmed Politicians do.

 

thank you for the replies.
yes i read similar things, but tbh m not all that bothered, as the car isn't in mint condition, and it's only gonna be under cover for a few months while I'm away (a family member is gonna start it up every week for me).

i live in the UK where it rains a LOT, and over the last 6 months or so I've noticed that after a few weeks of rain, water starts to collect in the spare wheel well in the boot. the battery and a few other things connected by electrical wires are there, so my main priority is to keep this as dry as possible with minimum intervention from my (less than fully able) family who are looking after it in my absence..

 

https://www.covercraft.com/ has a variety of high quality indoor and outdoor covers. The outdoor ones work well and can breathe to keep the car dry underneath.

 

First, clear the drains in the boot. Sunroof as well. See to the seals around the boot. And not-only.

Virginia has monsoons. Blighty don't know the half of it.

My XJ8-L lives outdoors. For years, not months or days. I have all manner of decent tools stashed around the spare. It doesn't get ANY moisture in there as would corrode those, nor dampen the roll of paper shop-towels.

You're planning a spend on a cover for the wrong reasons if you are already harbouring a rainwater-collection cistern under it.

What you are at-risk of off the back of creating a terrarium is mold, mildew, and toxic fungoides.

That can get ugly when it has eaten the headliner and starts on the harder-to-digest goods.

 

thank you again for the replies.

i did wonder if the boot seals were ok but I've not found any wetness except in that area except at the bottom of the spare wheel well

 

Mayhap the Resident Engineer is using it as a loo? Checked for Rodents?

Check also your battery's Hydrogen Gas tube and vent while you are at it.

Nascent Hydrogen / Hydronic Ions are mean bidgekiddies as acid-formers for corrosion.

 

If you have water collecting in the spare wheel well, it might be worth checking the upper part of the boot area, where the boot lid struts are. There are some seams in the metal in that area that seem to be prone to leak. And yes, a cover will, off course, also help with avoiding water ingress.

The main reason for my answer, though, is that if the car is going to stand still for a few months, the WORST that you can do is "a family member is gonna start it up every week for me"... I recommend not to do it.

Why?
If you start up a car, you need to get it up to a nice temperature so that all the moisture that can for in the exhaust system gets dried out, otherwise you will accelerate the
building of rust in the system even if it is stainless steel. The same applies for the engine itself, if not warmed through properly moisture will mix with the oil, not good at all.
And warming up the engine properly means driving it around for a minimum of, I would say, 20-30 miles, or so.

So, what is the best way of laying the car up and not to damage the mechanics?

- Do an oil change before laying the car up, this way the oil will be fresh and without contamination or moisture
- Inflate the tires to at least 3 bars, this will limit the building up of flat spots.
- Attach a trickle charger to the battery, or charge it on a regular basis with a charger if a trickle charger cannot be attached all the time.
- Push some cloth,wet with oil, into each of the exhausts. This way no humidity will creep into the exhausts.
- The same should be done with the air intake on the engine side, although here you already have the air filter that keeps away some of the humidity.
- And, as said, do NOT start up the car during the layup.

The above is what I do when I lay up some of my cars for winter time, which means that they will stand still for up to 4-5 months in a row. It is all based on recommendations I collected from various sources, mainly classic car specialists.

If the air suspension does not have any leaks, the you should bot have to worry about the car lowering too much. With my X350, I do not notice any difference in height even when leaving it for maybe 3 months in a row, and even then I notice only small changes.

Best regards,

Thomas