WTF-J

The WTF-J was never intended to have a lid.  (Think motorcycle with training wheels.)  No hard-top, no soft-top, only a "bikini" stretched between the top of the windshield and the (eventual) roll-bar.  Problem being that as the WTF-J is completely open, it makes it tough to park outside overnight without uninvited guests (Both the two and four legged kinds.)  The solution; a car cover. 

The problem is that there are more different types of car covers than you might imagine; different materials, different construction (One, two, three, and even four layers), indoor only, extreme sun, etc., etc.   It’s crazy.

With lots of searching I found Covercraft.  Reading through the "about us," it turns out that they were the primary supplier to MG Mitten and are now a big time player.  (You have to be old enough and a car junkie long enough to have read old Road & Track issues and knew Sports Car Graphic before they were absorbed by Car & Driver  to understand the affinity to MG Mitten.)  Covercraft also had a nifty table that explained the differences in the various materials.   The answer for the WTF-J was their Weathershield cover:

• Best rain & dust protection
• Smallest storage space required
  • Important when you take it on a road trip, as I learned when foolig around with Cobras and learned that a cover could basically consume that car’s available trunk space.
• Comes in bright yellow!
• Carried by J.C. Whitney
  • Frequently offer 20% off coupons and typically start out with the lowest price of the online parts guys

When the cover arrived, I thought the quality of the fabrication was first rate, but the fabric was a bit flimsy; however once it was on the WTF-J and the rain started, I got it.  The fabric is a real slick and strong (very tightly woven) nylon that actually holds water.  Under the cover, the interior was dry.  The only trick in installing the cover was cutting the hole and adding the grommet for the radio antenna.

The downside to the cover is that it is terrible for hiding the WTF-J, as even fully covered, it is clearly visible.   The good news is that the cover also hides the (empty) license plate holder, so it’s not totally obvious that I am in violation of our homeowners’ association covenants against parking unlicensed vehicles in the driveway.  

On balance, this is a very good thing!