Re: Buying A Stanley ... &/Or Lika?
Posted by:
Peter Brow (IP Logged)
Date: July 23, 2005 10:36AM
<HTML>Hi Andy,
That's exactly the problem -- sunshine. Ultraviolet and infrared radiation really do a job on automotive paint, fabric, rubber, wood, etc.. Including car covers/tarps, which all crumble to rags in under 2 years around here, no matter how long the makers claim it will last. I also have trees, so add leaves, twigs, pollen, flowers, fruit, sap, & "bird paint". Dry climate, so add dust, which turns to a film of mud with a little night time dew added. I'm also close enough to the Pacific Ocean for traces of airborne salt to be an issue.
No, I've stored cars outside before, and seen plenty of others stored outside, and they all go to pot in a few years. I don't even keep my old Bug outdoors any more. When I switched from outdoor to garage storage for the Bug, the decrease in vehicle decay rate (not to mention reduced washing & waxing) was astonishing.
Security is another issue. I've seen too many cars stolen or vandalized in streets and driveways, even in the best neighborhoods. Including tow-away thefts. But never from home garages. Most garages in older homes are used as junk storage sheds, so nobody bothers to break in. Plus they don't know what's in there. Out of sight, out of mind.
Even in sunny Southern California, every Stanley deserves a nice little house of its own.
Peter</HTML>