The most damaging thing in the world that can happen to a classic truck is for it to be left out in the elements--exposing it to the effects of the sun and rain. Of the two, the most destructive element is rain. Left unchecked, rain damage can lead to rust repairs costing thousands of dollars. Ignored for too long, severe rust damage from exposure to rainwater can render a truck virtually un-restorable. That said, it might be obvious that one needs to keep their truck covered up. However, there's more to it than meets the eye--not all car covers are created equal. The worst cover choice a person can make--and we are as guilty of it as anyone--is to throw one of those cheap silver or blue poly tarps made in China over their truck. From personal experience it looks like the Chinese have perfected their poly tarps to the point that it is only a matter of weeks before these tarps begin to deteriorate into a porous surface. By the time one notices that the inferior poly tarp has begun to split and tear in such a short period of time it's way too late, the damage has already been done.
Tired of a bad situation, we spent some time researching a better way to store our vintage trucks outdoors. The product we discovered is called Superweave Car Cover from the folks at the California Car Cover Company in Chatsworth, California.
The Superweave cover is available in many different colors, including Black, Bright Blue, Sky Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, Gray, and Taupe. We chose Gray. According to California Car Covers' information, "[The] Superweave cover features unsurpassed moisture, pollutant, and dust protection to keep your expensive investment safe from the ravages of acid rain, industrial contaminants, animal droppings, and damaging ultraviolet rays. Additionally, the Superweave's fabric is exceptionally breathable, allowing moisture and heat to escape before it can damage a vehicle's finish."
Next on our agenda was to address indoor storage. One might not realize it, but a lot of irreparable damage can occur to a vehicle while it is stored inside of an industrial building or a two-car home garage. This can be due to ultraviolet light or airborne caustic moisture generated by a washing machine or clothes dryer. After visiting California Car Cover's Web site we opted for a Plushweave cover. Our '56 F-100 wasn't listed on the Web site chart, but with a quick phone call to CCC we discovered they have a vast array of custom-tailored covers for older trucks in stock and ready to ship. For extremely rare applications CCC has as extensive collection of patterns on hand to special order from.