Just an initial review here, will post a follow up after it rains and some more time passes with this.

I *finally* got a car cover for the 98 Eclipse GST.

After looking at and considering some generic sized covers from local auto parts stores ($65 +/-) I decided to bite the bullet and get a high quality "custom" fit cover.

As the car's original owner and after spending alot of time and $$ (too much actually according to the BallN'Chain a/k/a wife) keeping it looking sharp I figured it was worth spending even more coin on a good durable cover. Based on what I've read I can get about 4 years out of this - maybe more so divided over time its not too bad. Also the cost of my paint was many times the cover and it will make that last much longer too. I view this as a cost of protecting the larger investment and its an acceptable cost for me anyway.

Down here in Miami we have brutally intense sun and frequent rains. At night even if it doesn't rain the humidity is so high most times we have very heavy dew that leaves water mark circles and is a dust magnet. Fortunately at work I park under a tree so there is shade but at times bird shit. The end result is I have to wash the car more often than I'd like to keep it clean. Yes, I'm obviously anal about it, but this is my baby not some beater car.

After doing some online research on car covers and reading alot of reviews I bought online from Auto Parts at AutoAnything - Auto Accessories, Truck Accessories, Car Covers, Tonneau Cover and Seat Covers the following:


CoverCraft custom fit "NOAH" fabric cover in grey color:





It was not cheap at $222.95 (free shipping, no sales tax) but damn the fitment and apparent quality really is superb. The mirror pockets are exactly where they should be and the seams around the GST's OEM high rear spoiler are dead-on right too. Wheel coverage is down to just above the bottom of my 18" rims. Its tight overall but not overly so.

BTW Covercraft has an affiliate company called WOLF that makes a very similar cover with the same fabric for about $50 less but it may not be as custom fitted.

The cover goes on and off much more easily than I had expected and stows easily too. Putting on or taking off takes about 1:30 each way - not rushing and doing it by myself. Thats having it less than a week so I'm sure with more practice I'll get faster too. Not too light so that with a mild breeze its a PITA but not so heavy either as to be hard to handle.

The "NOAH" brand fabric itself is made by a big textile company called Kimberly Clarke. Its breathable and supposedly highly water resistant. Hasn't rained since I got it this week.... The outside is moist from the dew but the car underneath is fairly dry. There are a couple of spots where it will be damp but definitely not soaked. Once it rains I'll update the post on how dry it will keep the car after a monsoon-like downpour. With that said, these types of covers are not intended to be waterproof. They HAVE to breathe by design and the inevitable tradeoff is that the car will not necessarily stay 100% dry beneath it. What it will do is keep dirt and grime adhering to the car after its wet - that will be on the outside of the cover, not the car.

The fabric is quite soft - inside and outside - so it seems like it will not easily scratch the car. Nonetheless I only put it on with the car already fairly clean. I use a Claifornia Car Duster brush (another awesome product that really does work - especially on my dust magnet white car) if needed before putting the cover on. I also avoid sliding the cover around on the car as much as possible.

I wonder about someone trying to steal it during the night out front but it might actually even have a deterrent effect since you can't see the car's contents and taking a cover off involves more exposure and potential risk to a thief. I never keep anything of value inside the car regardless and have taken a few security precautions anyway.

PS: Sorry this post is not in the parts review forums - I'm a newbie and can't post there yet - but at least its in the appearance-interior-exterior section...

How do you secure the cover down? Does it have straps that run underneath the car and clip to each other? The reason I ask is I bought a cheap eBay cover (highly recommend NOT doing) and it had 2 straps that run under the car and buckled. I figured this would be enough, but the first day I put it on, it got really windy and was lifting the cover off. After adding 3 more straps, then it was fine.

So far I've not needed ANY straps at all. The cover's been on in 15-20 mph winds so far with no issues with it staying on.


The cover has an elastic band all around the front and rear sides sewn in and its tight enough that its snug and just stays there.

There are grommets in the bottom part of the cover about the center of the doors to run a cable and lock through which I've not used yet but will when it gets windier.

Too bad you live in Florida.
I wonder how it works with snow...

This is awesome, exactly what i was looking for. How is it holding up so far?

nice review, have you submitted here
Post an Article - DSMtuners

RedTurboEclipse said:

nice review, have you submitted here
Post an Article - DSMtuners

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That's where I tried to post this initially but since I am a newbie here I'm restricted to posting in the newbie forums.... If a moderator wants to move this over there thats fine.

to VergeTsi:

Its only been a couple of weeks but so far fine. During the night last night we had a "cold" front come through with fairly strong winds with it. I just looked at the lighthouse data buoy info online and its been 15-22 knots all night (approx 17 to 24 mph). I've had the cover on with no straps and its on there tight and snug. I think if its forecast to be sustained or gusting above 30 mph I'd put straps on just in case but even then it probably would stay on (I'm not risking a $200 cover blowing away during the night to test this).

The cover does a superb job keeping dust off. A small amount of dew will penetrate to the paint but that is simply due to the fabric being breathable - its a trade off. Its rained a couple times now and the water beads up on the cover. A small amount of moisture gets through with both dew and rain but its minimal. If you leave the cover on when the sun comes up it dries and so does the car underneath fully. This is as it should be with even the mopst expensive outdoor cover as they NEED to breathe. If it were 100% plastic and totally waterproof I think it would actually damage the paint. The wetness underneath is so minimal that a quick wipe with a chamois or a synthetic absorbing cloth ("The Absorber") does it.

The fabric feels soft and I think it will not in and of itself scratch the paint. Not UNLESS the car were dusty AND you applied direct hard pressure to the fabric as you slide/move it across the car. I very much doubt the weigh of the cover alone - even if a little damp outside will scratch the cover. Nonetheless I always use the California Duster before putting the cover on and try to minimize the amount of sliding it across the paint. I now get it on/off in about 1 minute each way folding it for stowage.

Based on the short experience with this so far I'd buy it all over again with no reservations.

Nice review plus a couple of pictures say 1000 words (nice).

I am looking for one as well, just wondering how they would fit...now I know.

Do you always park it in the yard?

There's a beautiful low mileage gsx just like mine, same color and everything, and it sits in the guys front yard next to his driveway with a cover on it. It never moves. Makes me cringe. Anyways, parking on the yard tends to speed up the corrosion process underneath due to all the moisture coming up from the ground.

I hate to see a nice looking car rot from underneath so I'm just mentioning it. That cover does look nice. Fits the spoiler and everything.

housegsx said:

Do you always park it in the yard?

There's a beautiful low mileage gsx just like mine, same color and everything, and it sits in the guys front yard next to his driveway with a cover on it. It never moves. Makes me cringe. Anyways, parking on the yard tends to speed up the corrosion process underneath due to all the moisture coming up from the ground.

I hate to see a nice looking car rot from underneath so I'm just mentioning it. That cover does look nice. Fits the spoiler and everything.

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No, I don't always park in the yard and I do drive it about 4 days a week year round. At work it also is on a paved lot all day in the swealtering heat (albeit shaded by a tree) but whatever moisture is on the underbody totally dries.

Do they salt the roads in PA in winter snows? Fortunately we obviously don't have the snow issues here in Miami so at least thats not a problem. So far I have found no rust anywhere on the car - knock on wood.

I paid 150 for mine from a local DSMer. Never used, still in its original wrapping and box. Can't argue with that!

SeaveeDSM said:

Do they salt the roads in PA in winter snows? Fortunately we obviously don't have the snow issues here in Miami so at least thats not a problem. So far I have found no rust anywhere on the car - knock on wood.

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Yes they salt the roads here. I don't drive my dsm in the winter though. It stays in the garage.

I was looking at the website where you purchased the cover and I didn't see any place to specify that I have a gsx or the tall spoiler. I guess the best way must be to call and place an order.

housegsx said:

Yes they salt the roads here. I don't drive my dsm in the winter though. It stays in the garage.

I was looking at the website where you purchased the cover and I didn't see any place to specify that I have a gsx or the tall spoiler. I guess the best way must be to call and place an order.

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I would feel sick driving my car in salted roads and snow. There's something to be said for the ocassional hurricane and tropical storm threat though.

At the autoanything website look at the left side for links for "car covers" and then "shop by brand" then I selected Covercraft and then NOAH car cover. Once there there's an option to select by vehicle make, model, year, etc. When I select Mitsubishi--->> Eclipse---->> 1998---->Select Submodel the four options are:

Convertible
Coupe
With High Spoiler (the one I ordered)
With Low Spoiler

I live up in ND and try to keep my car in the garage. We have had a ton of snow this year, but our weather is always random. Salt and dirt covered roads after every snow. It would be nice to cover the car before it snows, pull it off and your car is clean. Not a foot of snow from bumper to bumper on top of it.

Rick, just wondering if you have any more thoughts/input on this cover. I'm looking to purchase a nice one after learning the hard way that cheaper ones suck, and have read great stuff about the Noah. Just wondering how it's holding up to wind, sun, rain, etc.

Same here, we need a long term update.

One year update:

Its been just over a year and wanted to give an update on how well the cover has held up.

AWESOME.

Although its a bit dirty, its still in great shape considering its been on the car almost daily in the extreme sun & regular rain etc. of Miami.

I'd not hesitate to buy this again if it were stolen or if in a year or two it has deteriorated enough to warrant a replacement.

I'm going to have to pick up one of those NOAH car covers for my GS-T no doubt.

Thanks for the update! I picked one up around Christmas for a very good price, but haven't had time to wash the car and put it on yet

I'll also give some reviews once I get it on and see how it works.

I had read this review of this car cover about a year ago when I first bought my GSX 2ga. I knew I'd be parking it under a pine tree, but I was living paycheck to paycheck and I didn't spring for the cover. Now I'm regretting it of course because I have a black 2g covered in sap ='(

Anyway, I just ordered the cover, and it's supposed to be here in a week. Now I need to start researching the best solution to get this car clean and sapless. I think I'll need more than the coveted California Duster at this point! Any Suggestions from those that have dealt with sap in the past?

This product is proven, my cover (and car) survived hurricane Sandy! I only had the cover strapped on using the one string through the two eyeholes on the cover.

Life is good.

Im in def buying one as soon as possible.