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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Sun Boy on November 16, 2013, 02:49:30 PM

Title: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Sun Boy on November 16, 2013, 02:49:30 PM
Hi All,

We have just been hailed on again. Thankfully no damage at our place but broken windscreens and severe damage to vehicles down the hill.

If your car is uncovered when hail is approaching is there anything you do to protect it (other than park it under cover!). Anyone tried blankets etc?

Cheers

Sun Boy

Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Marcus73 on November 16, 2013, 02:53:11 PM
Blankets may possibly help soften the blow otherwise the wife and kids with umbrellas ;)


Sent from the machine that goes..... Bing!
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Sun Boy on November 16, 2013, 03:00:52 PM
But will the wife and kids survive this.......?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-16/massive-hail-buckets-down-on-qld-sunshine-coast/5096926 (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-16/massive-hail-buckets-down-on-qld-sunshine-coast/5096926)

Cheers

Sun Boy
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Pirate_Pete on November 16, 2013, 03:09:48 PM
Live in a proper state that doesn't  get hail the size on golf balls. ???? ???? ????
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on November 16, 2013, 03:17:21 PM
At least with hail when ya camping, you have extra ice for the beer. :cheers:
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: bushbandit on November 16, 2013, 03:43:06 PM
Back in the late 80s when i purchased my Brock Commodore no one would insure it and if they did they wanted an arm and a leg i was so paranoid about hail i used to have a boot full of blankets.Now we are lucky to have Shannons. 
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Bird on November 16, 2013, 06:15:16 PM
Quote from: Sun Boy
If your car is uncovered when hail is approaching is there anything you do to protect it

If your car is undercover theres no problem... if its not, you have insurance.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Robin Miller on November 16, 2013, 06:56:00 PM
Hi Sunboy

One thing to think about is that some cars suffer more than others  and like many things its a compromise.

For example GU Patrols are significantly more stable than say equivalent  Toyotas  and one part of the reason for that is that bodywork steel is thinner making the car lighter ,  great for stability but bad for hail damage.

Other thing you can do is keep the car well polished with something like Nu-Finnish.

Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: D4D on November 16, 2013, 07:01:13 PM
Other thing you can do is keep the car well polished with something like Nu-Finnish.

This is a classic, how does that stop hail damage?
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Sun Boy on November 16, 2013, 07:30:22 PM
This is a classic, how does that stop hail damage?

Maybe the hail slides right off......
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Swan2014 on November 16, 2013, 10:37:33 PM
There is a caravan up the road from us with a cover on it saying "hail proof". 
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on November 17, 2013, 06:36:57 AM
There is a caravan up the road from us with a cover on it saying "hail proof".

Its called a garage....  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Robin Miller on November 17, 2013, 06:52:40 AM
Maybe the hail slides right off......

Pretty close analogy guys but not quite.

Most of the hail doesn't hit a car directly at right angles where it would be stopped immediaetly and deliver its energy into the car panel.

It mostly strikes at an angle - In engineering terms  the force of impact can be analysed as two vectors one force in direction of car panel and the other at right angles - if the surface is more slippery then the component of force at right angles will cause object to move itself more or less in line of lesser resistance.

Classic example is when you throw a flattish rock across a dam , if angle is shallow enough the rock will skip across the water and hit opposite bank and hence little energy is lost in first contact.

So shining up your cars till water beads it will reduce impact force - but don't drive past an inviting garage !






Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: D4D on November 17, 2013, 07:03:08 AM
So shining up your cars till water beads it will reduce impact force

Thanks Robin your comments are always good for a laugh
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on November 17, 2013, 07:26:12 AM
Thanks Robin your comments are always good for a laugh

I think he's onto something....

What say you coated your car in teflon like a frypan, the eggs/hail would slip right off.

My new business, is a mobile teflon coating service for cars and 4WD's. Once the magic formula is sprayed on, and being invisible once applied, the only way you'll be able to tell its been done, is by the $500.00 invoice you have, which i might ad, was paid for in cash prior to the job being done.

OK, in an orderly fashion, please commence to form a line up to have this treatment done.... come on, no pushing, i'll make sure you all get done.  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Nomad on November 17, 2013, 07:50:06 AM
Don't think polish would have stopped these yesterday.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZKleEqCEAATwGI.jpg)


 I was with the kids at Sunshine yesterday totally oblivious to all of this...........Could see the storm off Maroochydore though.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: UIZ733 on November 17, 2013, 07:59:11 AM
Pool noodles and tarp?
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: firefox on November 17, 2013, 08:01:46 AM
Well, not that I have used it yet but I did drive through very very small hail yesterday, I have purchased a plan for protecting the rangerover. also have insurance.

Option 1 is under the awning.

Option 2 I purchased an additional c-gear floor mat. If you put this over the car, it sits over the roof rack and then drapes over the rest of the car. I would peg down all 4 corners so it's tight and would provide I think significant protection. I've set it up on my car, and worked out the only touch points of the material are bullbar and roof rack. The only negative is that you have to be carefully putting it over the car, so not scratching the car. The material is so strong I think it would easily withstand large hail.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Diesel Power on November 17, 2013, 08:07:39 AM
One guy I worked with in Adelaide used thick sheep skins which he had on the floor of his lounge room to protect his Statesman.
I don't think the hail was 50 mm in Diameter though, around 25mm from memory.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Chesapeake on November 17, 2013, 08:19:18 AM
We had a hailstorm here in about 1990 with golf ball sized hailstones.Heaps of cars written off,and a few people caught out by the insurance asessors trying to finish off panel damage by belting their car with a golf ball in a sock .They could see the pattern of the woven sock in the paint.
It set up all the plumbers in town for life as nearly every house had a new roof,and secondhand roofing iron was plentiful. Where I worked at the time we had cars written off ,Xe falcons,Commodores and parked in the middle of them was an old Morris Minor.It only had about 6 decent dents in the roof.Guess the metal was thicker when they built them.
Title: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Marcus73 on November 17, 2013, 08:43:02 AM

So shining up your cars till water beads it will reduce impact force - but don't drive past an inviting garage !


Ok, so I do have a little experience in this field and I would have to just add my thoughts on this theory..... Bollocks!
By all means prove my opinion wrong, maybe video a rock being hurled at your nice and shiny car sideways so that we can all see how little damage it does. ;)


Sent from the machine that goes..... Bing!
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Rumpig on November 17, 2013, 09:18:17 AM
all i will say on the matter is...don't get a large thick blanket to cover your ute windscreen with, and then secure it inside the closed doors to stop it blowing away....the blanket acts as a wick and sucks the water through the closed doors and fills the floor pan of your vehicle...apparently  :-[  :-[
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: 03GV on November 17, 2013, 09:44:34 AM
Nufinish aparently helps in car accidents too ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Pog on November 17, 2013, 09:46:44 AM
all i will say on the matter is...don't get a large thick blanket to cover your ute windscreen with, and then secure it inside the closed doors to stop it blowing away....the blanket acts as a wick and sucks the water through the closed doors and fills the floor pan of your vehicle...apparently  :-[  :-[

Sound like you could be speaking from 1st hand experience Rumpig!
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Bird on November 17, 2013, 09:51:31 AM
Quote from: 03GV
Nufinish aparently helps in car accidents too ;D

Its true.. I saw a fully loaded b-double hit a Smart car head on and it just deflected off to the side.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Snapman007 on November 17, 2013, 10:01:23 AM
Don't think polish would have stopped these yesterday.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZKleEqCEAATwGI.jpg)


 I was with the kids at Sunshine yesterday totally oblivious to all of this...........Could see the storm off Maroochydore though.


That'll buff out. :)
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Timmsy on November 17, 2013, 10:14:48 AM
Nufinish aparently helps in car accidents too ;D

Proof that Nufinish works, crap just bounces off.
fast foward to 0.50  ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyMk8Z03UB8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyMk8Z03UB8)



Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: MarkGU on November 17, 2013, 10:38:18 AM
 :worthles:
all i will say on the matter is...don't get a large thick blanket to cover your ute windscreen with, and then secure it inside the closed doors to stop it blowing away....the blanket acts as a wick and sucks the water through the closed doors and fills the floor pan of your vehicle...apparently  :-[  :-[
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: UIZ733 on November 17, 2013, 10:43:14 AM
What about the good old days of the vinyl roof.  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: MarkGU on November 17, 2013, 10:49:34 AM
What about the good old days of the vinyl roof.  ;D
yep.....back then it was either hail or rust. take ya pic  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Rumpig on November 17, 2013, 11:53:59 AM
Sound like you could be speaking from 1st hand experience Rumpig!
i might be...lol

:worthles:
don't have any mate...was my WB ute i used to have many years back, thought i was doing the right thing but ended up having to dry the interior out afterwards >:( >:(
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Robin Miller on November 17, 2013, 12:58:49 PM
Nufinish aparently helps in car accidents too ;D

Where it does also help is driving thru overgrown bush 03GV , reducing severity of  scratches , and also making car easy to clean.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: D4D on November 17, 2013, 01:00:11 PM
Where it does also help is driving thru overgrown bush 03GV , reducing severity of  scratches , and also making car easy to clean.

How many grams does is add to the weight of your Patrol? Does it impact your fuel economy?
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Black Diamond on November 17, 2013, 01:05:49 PM
Just hold off for 5 mins lads, I'm just gunna grab a six pack, sit back and watch this thread progress. It's funny stuff :cheers:
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: alnjan on November 17, 2013, 01:18:48 PM
Where it does also help is driving thru overgrown bush 03GV , reducing severity of  scratches , and also making car easy to clean.

They are doing scientific studies into the application.  clockwise, anticlockwise, straight or other as well as the amount, time of day, application temperature and humidity when applied and to the curing time before before polished
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Davepatrol on November 17, 2013, 02:11:20 PM
Back on track ;D
We got hit with some hail yesterday. Tried to protect the misses Avalon as its only 8months old.

(http://images1.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp93232%3Euqcshlukaxroqdfv6963%3Dwp%3E%3B957%3D859%3D33%3B%3DXROQDF%3E273966%3A%3B4824%3Awp1lsi)

(http://images1.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp93232%3Euqcshlukaxroqdfv377%3A%3Dwp%3E%3B957%3D859%3D33%3B%3DXROQDF%3E2739667%3C8824%3Awp1lsi)

(http://images1.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp93232%3Euqcshlukaxroqdfv65%3A5%3Dwp%3E%3B957%3D859%3D33%3B%3DXROQDF%3E273966%3A%3B4724%3Awp1lsi)


(http://images1.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp93232%3Euqcshlukaxroqdfv4946%3Dwp%3E%3B957%3D859%3D33%3B%3DXROQDF%3E2739667%3C8724%3Awp1lsi)
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: kiva on November 17, 2013, 03:18:29 PM
Hmm ... might work ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8ptQ9A5AU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8ptQ9A5AU)
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: shaned on November 17, 2013, 04:27:18 PM
We went to pick up our eldest daughter from her friends sleepover just 2 ks from home just before the storm hit, I looked at the BOM radar just 15 minutes before we got back into the car to come home and it looked like the storm had split and went around, as we got in the car, we can hear this almighty roar coming, like a freight train, the noise was unreal, just as we all waved goodbye and started the car, a single solitary golf ball size chunk of ice smashes down right beside the car, time to go, just as I got onto the street it hit and was big, not lots of hail , just big random one's, I traveled slowly up the street, would it lesson the damage by stopping, or am I better off driving out of it I asked myself?
There was no where to hide undercover, I chose to drive but slowly due to the fact it was hitting the windscreen that hard I was worried it was going to smash, after about 200 meters the hail radically reduced it size, then I hot footed home just in case we got hit twice by the same storm cell, anyways, damage done, dents all over car looks like a big red golf ball, the noise the hail was making on the car was just horrendous, second only to my wifes swearing as we where in her car, phone time with the insurance broker tomorrow
Shane
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: UIZ733 on November 17, 2013, 04:44:29 PM
Hmm ... might work ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8ptQ9A5AU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8ptQ9A5AU)

John McEnroe - You Cannot Be Serious (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQ_Ja02gTY#)
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Hairs on November 17, 2013, 04:44:57 PM
They are doing scientific studies into the application.  clockwise, anticlockwise,
Helps if tongue is stuck out of corner of mouth in the direction it is applied.
 ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: alnjan on November 17, 2013, 04:54:18 PM
So if you apply itin figure 8's your tongue is going to get pretty bloody worn out
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Hairs on November 17, 2013, 04:57:12 PM
So if you apply it in figure 8's your tongue is going to get pretty bloody worn out
Hmmm, and this is where plenty of  :cheers: should be on standby.
Just in case  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: DRB120 on November 17, 2013, 05:42:02 PM
I remember many years ago in Bundaberg there was a big hail storm on the way and people in our estate were running around like madmen getting cars away and covered up. The bloke next door came out and put several blankets on top and the wind kept blowing them off. He then had the great idea of putting a few pavers on top of the blankets to hold it all down. It worked really well for the next 20 mins until the wind picked right up and started lifting the blankets with pavers up. In the end we received no hail but old mates car had a cracked windscreen and large dents across the roof and bonnet where the pavers had hit several times. Was the funniest thing I had ever seen. ;D

To be honest it couldn't have happened to a nicer person.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: achjimmy on November 17, 2013, 06:02:29 PM
The worst hail scenario is where the smaller stones form together as they fall. Happened in Sydney with golf ball size stones a few years ago. Some of the hail that hit cars was cricket ball size and jaggerd! Nothing other than a roof over the top would help.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Hairs on November 17, 2013, 06:16:27 PM
Nothing other than a roof over the top would help.
In the building game I've seen the result of hail punching holes in cheap roofing iron and tiles don't even stand a chance if it's hard enough.
A shocking thing to happen to anyone, worse if they get injured too.

Just waiting for the insurance companies to bung it on with increased premiums, also to come out with maps of where hail is likely to be, kinda like their inaccurate flood mapping system that is worked out on postcode not geographical.
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Moggy on November 17, 2013, 06:52:59 PM
Try "MARY"  ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Brumbypt on November 17, 2013, 07:00:23 PM
Yeah alpaca hair, you spread it around, all over your rig or car and go inside and relax..

I have a bag of alpaca hair forsale, only $49.99 plus delivery. get it while its fresh and dont worry about hail anymore...



D4D, this is what what I think when the meds kick in.


Peter,
iPad with IOS 7.0.3 using Tapatalk HD
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on November 17, 2013, 07:29:49 PM
Yeah alpaca hair, you spread it around, all over your rig or car and go inside and relax..

I have a bag of alpaca hair forsale, only $49.99 plus delivery. get it while its fresh and dont worry about hail anymore...



D4D, this is what what I think when the meds kick in.


Peter,
iPad with IOS 7.0.3 using Tapatalk HD

Cheaper than my teflon coating idea too... hmmm, i might get two bags kind sir.

If you send me all your bank account details and pin number, i'll make sure you see a change in your account balance by morning...... ;D  >:D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Brumbypt on November 17, 2013, 07:44:04 PM
Well thats no good, I only have one bag left, as I only had one alpaca..

you could try some sheep daggy wool, thats only $29.99 for a bin load. I am sure it will work just as well


Peter,
iPad with IOS 7.0.3 using Tapatalk HD
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Pog on November 17, 2013, 08:38:48 PM
I polished my SR5 today just in case... I don't think we have had decent rain here for about a month, and I don't recon we have had hail for at least a year.

I didn't use Nufinish Polish as recommended, just a normal car polish... I hope My ute is safe?
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: berlitza on November 17, 2013, 09:02:50 PM
Few year back when melbourne was hit by hail the guy up the road has a classic old merc that he covered in the padding  from his outdoor funiture seats , both mine and my parents cars were fatally hit while his merc came through  without without any damage but I believe spray and cook will also work
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: kylarama on November 17, 2013, 09:12:11 PM
First chance I've had to reply all day. 
I got rushed to hospital earlier! 
Had a read of a few of the posts... and split my sides open from roaring with laughter ;D
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: KevinNugent on November 18, 2013, 07:51:26 AM
My new Jeep has been parked at Coolangatta airport since Friday.  Hope it's still in one piece!
Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: gibbo301 on November 18, 2013, 10:15:39 AM

Seems Robin Miller was right  ;D ;D


Title: Re: Hail -is there anything you can do to protect your car?
Post by: Robin Miller on November 18, 2013, 11:41:39 AM
Seems Robin Miller was right  ;D ;D


Obviously Gibbo  - but the guys above are secretly out the back applying R-2180









(The commericial 2 pack Silicone - used to reduce ice buildup on aircraft)