Winshield Sunshade

[patt]

Living in sunny Sacramento, we like to put up a sunshade inside the windshield when we are parked. The silvery mylar ones we have been using in our Camry just don't seem worthy of our new RX B) so I'm looking for suggestions.

Now that we have a new car, the Camry is getting detailed inside today and a refreshing of it's paint is on our schedule. Maybe I'll have to get it a new shade too.

[1990LS400]

Can't remember the actual brand but we have bought these for three of our cars over the years: http://www.autoanything.com/products/produ...shade_uv_shield

Lots of on-line stores sell these same custom fit shades. The one I bought for my 1st LS was getting worn but was still usable when I sold the car after almost 14 years. I used the shades everytime I parked outside - winter and summer.

You might consider getting your front side windows tinted too. Tints and the windshield shade really helps the interior stay free of sun damage -- especially the dash and steering wheel leather.

[Dave_02RX300]

Anyone have a make/model/brand of CAR COVER they like? I never owned a car worth covering. I don't need to protect it from snow. Just leaves, dirt, dust, and sun. Thanks.

[RX in NC]

I kept a couple of cars covered from the mid-80s until the early 90s when paint and clearcoat technology was not nearly as good as it is today. My research at that time convinced me to use a cotton-blend, breatheable cover as opposed to a waterproof non-breatheable one. The reason behind that was that you don't want to trap moisture and actually speed up the rusting process underneath your cover - you want water to evaporate and a cotton-based cover allows that to happen rather quickly.

I think those covers did a relatively good job of protecting the surfaces of the vehicles I covered them with. The biggest drawback was that dust could get through and rain would sometimes turn that dust into a filmy surface on the paint. But those spots were surface-only and would clean right up with wet rags and chamois (I liked using old diapers at that time, and still do). The key was to get a car cover that could be washed in your washing machine, and then do so at least once a month to keep the cover relatively clean. Otherwise it became a dust magnet. But you must have an extra-capacity washer to fit most covers into your machine.

I'm sure that car cover technology has improved quite a bit since the 1980s. I'm not nearly as attached to our vehicles now as I was then, plus I learned to stick with white vehicle exteriors for ease of maintenance and maximum sun resistance. I don't expect to be using any more car covers but best of luck to you in searching for one that fits your needs. I think that breatheability would still be one of the most important requirements - you'll get more updated advice from folks who are currently using car covers....

[patt]

Perhaps it is because I am just a bit over 5 feet tall, but I find it difficult to picture putting a car cover on an RX on a daily basis. That is a lot of material to wrangle into the back too.

[RX in NC]

Yep, you really have to love your vehicles to be willing to deal with a car cover multiple times a day for years and years in all types of weather.

I just don't love 'em enough to do that anymore. And for the most part, today's exterior finishes are significantly better than those of 15 years ago.

[scoobie]

Living in sunny Sacramento, we like to put up a sunshade inside the windshield when we are parked. The silvery mylar ones we have been using in our Camry just don't seem worthy of our new RX  B) so I'm looking for suggestions.

Now that we have a new car, the Camry is getting detailed inside today and a refreshing of it's paint is on our schedule. Maybe I'll have to get it a new shade too.

←

Putting on a sunshade seems too low-tech for your high-tech 400h (not worthy, as you would say), have you considered a solar powered ventilation fan you can clip/attach to the side window ? I've seen them advertised, I'm sure you can find one locally.

[patt]

Yep, you really have to love your vehicles to be willing to deal with a car cover multiple times a day for years and years in all types of weather.

I just don't love 'em enough to do that anymore.  And for the most part, today's exterior finishes are significantly better than those of 15 years ago.

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Just for grins, :) I did a little time value of money calculation. We are getting our 10 year old Camry painted. Now in all fairness to Toyota, the part of the paint job that most needs it is an area that was repainted after some minor body work and they will also be fixing up some of the minor damage that occurs to a car during 10 years on streets and in parking lots. If it was all their origninal paint, perhaps we wouldn't even be needing to do this yet. (The place that is doing the painting is suppose to do something close to the original paint in durability - not the junk that the guys doing the repair slapped on. For what we are paying I sure hope they are. They came with a strong recommendation.)

So, based on the time value of money, the paint job is costing me about 50 cents for each day we owned the car. Say I got car covers for free and it took about 5 minutes a day to put the cover on and off. That would mean I would save about $10 per an hour of car cover labor if the car cover would have totally eliminated the need for the paint job. I guess we don't have to feel at all badly about not loving our cars enough.

Maybe someday when I get a cute little roadster convertable - something that doesn't need an acre of fabric to cover it.

[SW03ES]

As for sunshades the one Jim posted is what I use, and I havent found anything nicer. The shape is perfect and they fold up well.

As for car covers, in 2005 I wouldn't bother. If you keep the car clean and waxed and keep the plastic components protected/leather conditioned and use a sunshade I think like RX in NC said modern paints, plastic, and such are durable enough to still look good as long as you're going to have the vehicle.

One thing you will want to do is polish the plastic headlamps and taillamps every 30 days with a good plastic polish. This plastic is pretty cheap and if the cars sit outside they cloud up and yellow real quick.

[Dave_02RX300]

Thanks everyone! This is one of the most fun threads I've been in.

I will definitely get the RX300 custom sized sunshade.

But not the car cover. You're right - the paint will last, it doesn't snow here as far as I can tell, and who wants to strain their back getting it up over the top.

Maybe just an umbrella taped to the antenna?

www.cocktailumbrellas.com/

[RX in NC]

patt,

Yes, there's a world of difference between lousy paint jobs and great paint jobs, but be aware that NO aftermarket paint job can come anywhere close to the factory finish regardless of manufacturer. New vehicle metalwork rolls through multimillion-dollar cleanrooms where it is treated, painted, and sealed using state-of-the-art materials and processes. Aftermarket painters do the best they can in less-than-ideal circumstances that make environmental control very difficult to do. You'll get a much better paint job from a long-time skilled craftsman who uses the best materials available, but even his best work will never pass for a factory finish.

The bottom line is that you'll have to protect that repainted vehicle much better than you'll need to protect your new one. Keep it out of the sun whenever possible, and ensure that you find out how long you must allow your new paint to cure before you put any protective materials (i.e. waxes) on it. Depending upon the type of paint used and your particular climate this time of year, you'll need to allow your finish to cure anywhere from six weeks to three months. Ask your craftsman directly and mark your calendar by what he says. When your cure period runs its course, get some protection on that paint and ensure that it stays there if you intend to keep the vehicle for a long time. I personally like plain old carnauba wax but there are newer, more synthetic products that may last longer and be easier to use. Some of the detail junkies on this forum can help you here. You don't need to obsess over your finish with a six-step process that takes a whole weekend, but you will need to keep a coat of protection on it to give that new finish a fighting chance during the years to come.

Good luck with the new paint job. Be very sure that a true craftsman is doing it for you before you hand over your keys. Ask to see some of his work, either in person or in the portfolios that all the best shops constantly add to and keep in their showrooms for their potential clients to peruse.

[patt]

RX in NC, Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I realize that a repaint won't match the durability of the original factory paint job where they have so much more control of the environment. I'm fairly sure I've chosen a good shop to do it - one that is consistant with your suggestions.

It should be getting pretty dry and warm here soon so cure time should be shortish but I'll ask them for advice on care.

We had just gotten a quote for exterior painting on our rather sprawling house at the time I took the car in for a painting estimate. We have a large house that kind of rambles so it has a lot of exterior for its interior square feet. The car painting price came as a shock - over a third of the estimate to paint our whole house. Of course, the house doesn't run around at 70 mph and isn't painted in a high gloss silver mettalic tone.

[patt]

While I was out of town on business, my husband went ahead and bought the sunshade from the parts department at our dealer while the car was getting a free wash. It seems just like the Covercraft one described on the AutoAnything site except that it has Lexus printed on the front (and cost about $10 more for that B) ). With that foam layer, it really insulates a lot better than the cheap drug store ones.

We are still fussing with where to put it when driving. If we lay it on the back seat it slides, but if we put it on the back floor, we have to be careful to not let it block the battery air vents.

[RX in NC]

Put a lanyard on it and wear it like a security badge....

[Dave_02RX300]

I ended up buying the recommended one:

http://www.autoanything.com/products/produ...shade_uv_shield

online.

It's great.

[patt]

I ended up buying the recommended one:

http://www.autoanything.com/products/produ...shade_uv_shield

online.

It's great.

←

Where do you put it when you are driving? I guess that isn't as much of a problem in the RX300 since there are no battery air vents.

[Dave_02RX300]

"Where do I put it?"

I chuck it in the back behind the passenger seats or in the boot. :D

I routinely drive with the right rear seat folded down, so I can stuff my bicycle back there. I also have one of the custom cloth bedliners that velcros in (150$ investment). Just to be safe, I put a painter's dropcloth over that. And I keep my bike clean. And I can shake out the sand and grit and dirt without removing the bedliner.

[dreamchaserflorida]

Living in sunny Sacramento, we like to put up a sunshade inside the windshield >>

I looked at the brochure for sunshields at the Lexus Parts Dept today. It is from canvasworks.com $32.95 but no specification for model . I have heard (positive comments) of this online site a lot in the Prius Forums. In fact, I previously had bought a front and rear "heatshield" for my Prius ($29.95 each) but, since it was winter, never used it and I just sold my Prius. The more recent heatshields roll up rather than fold and others have said that the rollup kind are easier to use/store.

I will see if the front Prius heatshield I still have will fit the windshield of my

RX 400h... If not, there are 4 Prius owners who want to buy them from me.

My RX 400h is garaged and I just had the front driver and passenger windows tinted.. like the rear areas, to the legal darkness. I live in a hot sunny climate (SW Florida) so I will need something. I bought a jumbo shiny aluminum-looking one today at Target...hope it will fit the RX 400h windshield.