carspath 4 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Esprit GT3 with a roof mounted aerial . No garage available . 2nd car , so will be able to at least gently hose it down before putting on an outdoor car cover . But I live about 200 metres from the sea , so the car will be subject to strong winds , and driving rain Is an outdoor cover a complete no, no ? Has anyone actually used an outdoor car cover in such circumstances without suffering paint , bodywork or mechanical damage to their Esprit ? Any other relevant considerations that I should be worried about ? Thank you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramjet 1,097 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Welcome to TLF. My S4 lives in a garage so I can't help you with your enquiry. You should duck over to the Introductions section and say hi in there as well. Quote All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit. Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others. Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,711 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Welcome! It's taken a while for your first post! In all seriousness, I'd find a garage somewhere and hire that. The Esprit has an awful lot of mild steel fixings and that in combination with the sea 200m away and the weather where you are will really, really accelerate corrosion of the car. I use myself and sell the Specialised Car Covers but no matter they are open at the bottom and those elements will make their way under the cover and cause lots and lots of corrosion. My first Esprit lived close to the sea before I owned it and it was very, very evident. Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
silverfrost 1,390 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Welcome to the forums, As Bibs says see if you can rent a garage, a lot of small classic car storage providers are popping up now also at reasonable rates. Strong winds by the sea will always be a nightmare for any cover as dust and debris will always get in underneath and end up on the cars surface, causing scratches when it settles on the paintwork and the cover moves , no matter how good the cover is. Also as Bibs says, sea air is no friend to any car left outside sadly Quote A Link to post Share on other sites
LotuStuart 93 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Also, anyone know how to stop my cat from climbing on top of my cover? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carspath 4 Posted May 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Thank you all for your very generous welcome , and for your candid replies . Sadly , I live in the middle of nowhere , and there is no further garage space to be had . I have a 70 sq m garage which is packed , not with dross , but with my 4 wheeled friends , all of whom I adore , and none of whom can be evicted . I have long dreamt of an Esprit , but it would have to live outdoors . Do you think that I should just forget this dream of an Esprit ? Do you think that an Esprit will survive better without a cover ? Which Lotus , if any , would survive better outside without a cover ? Thank you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gold FFM Dan E 1,593 Posted May 29, 2019 Gold FFM Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Carcoon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bazza 907 1,112 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Good shout from Dan. An outdoor carcoon might be the answer but I'm not sure how well it would cope with being exposed to wind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gold FFM Barrykearley 7,178 Posted May 30, 2019 Gold FFM Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 Build an extension on the garage 👍 Or if it’s tall enough stick in a four poster and you can have one up and one down👍 1 Quote Only here once Link to post Share on other sites
paul1972 15 Posted May 30, 2019 Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 You can get this in a Esprit friendly size Quote Link to post Share on other sites
910Esprit 579 Posted May 30, 2019 Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 My experience of outdoor covers is the wind will shred them given enough time. If you are lucky enough to find a watertight esprit and you can park on a hardstanding, it will probably fare OK. A leaking Esprit is a miserable place and the interiors deteriorate badly. Presumably the newer generation Lotuses are watertight and should survive as well as any other car stored outside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gold FFM Barrykearley 7,178 Posted May 30, 2019 Gold FFM Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 27 minutes ago, paul1972 said: You can get this in a Esprit friendly size @ajheath this guy needs some pics of yours 👍 Quote Only here once Link to post Share on other sites
carspath 4 Posted May 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 Thanks again everyone . I have already been through the extension and 4 poster lift route , but neither are going to be feasible The foldable garage looks the next best option , so I now just need to identify the company that sells it ... Mr Google and I are on the case Thanks again , and all of you lucky enough to have an Esprit , continue to enjoy them Carspath Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gvy 384 Posted May 30, 2019 Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 I think it would be better to look/google for an outdoor carcoon . This will preserve the cr far better from the elements of seaclimate. The car will always be protected and dry. It is even better than some damp garage storages . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gibbie 24 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 I use one of the Machine Mart garages https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cig81015-heavy-duty-instant-garage---da/?da=1&TC=GS-140613570&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0Mq_5KzF4gIVQrDtCh3CrA5GEAQYASABEgJesvD_BwE they come with ground anchors which need to be correctly fitted. It has survived the weather here by the sea in Southampton. Kind Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gvy 384 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 I watched that movie and pictures Looks like a quality product. How log do you have it installed already? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hopo 154 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 I keep mine outdoors. Just put up my Clarke Garage (as above) and this does a good job of keeping it dry and keeping away the weather. easy to build too. I rate em Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gibbie 24 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 Hi Geert I've had the Clarke’s garage for two years now. Any body looking to buy one, look out for one of their vat free days to save a bit of money. Kind Regards Paul 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibs 11,711 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 Is the 3m enough or would you recommend the 3.7m now you have one? Quote 88 Esprit NA, 89 Esprit Turbo SE, Evora, Evora S, Evora IPS, Evora S IPS, Evora S IPS SR, Evora 400, Elise S1, Elise S1 111s, Evora GT410 Sport Evora NA For forum issues, please contact the Moderators. I will aim to respond to emails/PM's Mon-Fri 9-6 GMT. Link to post Share on other sites
Gibbie 24 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 Mines 4.5 metres long I think. It’s tight but goes in ok. There are some cheaper versions on eBay, but the machine mart one is white on the interior which makes it pleasantly light to work in. kind Regards Paul May have missed the point in my reply! yes, for maximum access, go for the wider version. kind Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
march 864 Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 I bought one of these after it had not survived it's first winter (the front entrance was destroyed) for a few quid as I only need it to store cars in a barn. It is very sturdily built so I suspect there are not many of these types of tent garages that will survive winter winds, esepcially near the coast. http://www.hamilton-motorsport.co.uk/acatalog/Autopod.html#aAP1. It as both an inner and an outer and the outer zip area and base was shredded during a winter storm. It was located near the coast of Dorset so was subject to coastal weather (it was set up protected by the owners house but that did not help). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laika 103 Posted June 21, 2019 Report Share Posted June 21, 2019 I used an autopod to restore my classic elan, even painted in it, it survived a year with no adverse effects.. but I am nowhere near the sea ! It has guy roles and a metal frame so should survive well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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