Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello all,

I come to the forum once more seeking the counsel of those who have made mistakes before me in an attempt to not make the same mistakes again

I'm currently a situation where I won't be able to store my Elan inside for probably. Which is a little bit of a problem since I live in Florida now (a very... moist... climate). Ignoring the problem of hurricanes - I have a garage of a friend that I can use for short periods of time if there's a hurricane - I intend to fix all of the leaks so that the inside of the car stays dry but I still can't really stomach leaving it outside in the elements all the time. I saw few posts from several years ago with a near-unanimous consensus that car covers are awful for an Elan and absolutely trash the paint due to rubbing an moisture trapping but I was wondering (hoping?) that advances in technology now allow for a more suitable car cover. I am currently looking at covers specifically fitted for an Elan.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Ben

Get an external quality Cair O Port it has an internal frame keeping it off the paint work and this also allows you to drive it in and out without collapsing it (like you?d have to with a Carcoon). If you buy it new I?m sure you can specify more guy rope points to secure it though I?m not sure it?d survive a hurricane.

Because of condensation and where I live, the world's only temperate inland rainforest which boarders Canadas only desert.
I use thick poly under vehicles. I would only cover the areas which collect and are exposed to rain.
My cars have roofs, and all have plastic underneath, even over concrete and asphalt.

I suspect coastal cars, which can see some salt have more specific requirements.
Paint is easier to fix than rust

Why not rent a storage unit? I had mine in a 10x20' for several years. I visited often for 1) making sure
critters stay away and 2) to retrieve it for driving..

gjz30075 wrote:Why not rent a storage unit? I had mine in a 10x20' for several years. I visited often for 1) making sure
critters stay away and 2) to retrieve it for driving..

I was considering this too but the only ones I can find go for $175-200 per month which is a little more than I would like to spend. Granted, I'm only going to have to store it intermittently for a year, but it's still expensive.

The idea does appeal to me though because it is a guaranteed place to store during a hurricane.

What about a temporary car port/garage?

These can be had from Harbor freight for ~$100 and would keep most of the water and sun of the car while allowing it to breathe. It wouldn't stand up to hurricane weather and might not be permitted where you are parking the car but might be worth considering.

mbell wrote:What about a temporary car port/garage?

These can be had from Harbor freight for ~$100 and would keep most of the water and sun of the car while allowing it to breathe. It wouldn't stand up to hurricane weather and might not be permitted where you are parking the car but might be worth considering.

Unfortunately they are not permitted where I am parking the car and my cousin's house, while located somewhat near me, is in a neighborhood where the homeowner's association (HOA) does not permit them either. I'm using the aforementioned cousin's garage as a home base for engine replacement for the next couple of months but it's 45 minutes away from where I live currently and once I get the car back on the road I would like to have the car closer to me than that.

Looking like I'll bite the bullet and go for a storage unit until I have a proper garage to keep it in.

I am not surprised to hear that.

As I understand it the problem with the car cover is trapping moisture near the body for prolonged periods of time. If the car is going to be easily accessible then the problem can potentially be avoided by simply removing the cover and letting the car air out on a frequent basis.

If its lack of breath ability
Why not add some closed cell foam on top of the car, then the cover. And allow air to flow.
Dry roof, dry foot.

Ben,

I have a couple of cars in a 10 x 20 garage rented from an apartment complex here in Ohio. This is the 2nd one I've been in; the 1st one kept raising the rent, until I couldn't justify it, so I moved. I'm thinking that I've seen similar in Florida. I want to say in South Daytona on Nova Rd and on the north side of Deland on Rt 17. I spend my winters about 25 miles north of you. Send me a PMl if you're interested in meeting.

My coupe just came out of the paint shop last spring and slowly going back together in Florida.

Roger