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BACKGROUND
In
the 70's there was no viable solution to the cracked dash
syndrome. The roadster windshield acts like a great
magnifying glass and concentrates a heat beam above the
clock that really did a number on most dashes that had to
live uncovered outside.
We
believe we were the first company to make and advertise this
product FOR ANY CAR. Now this type of product is made in
hundreds or thousands of applications. Actually at about the
same time there was a gentleman in Sacramento, California
working on the same type of product for the Z car, but I'm
pretty sure we beat him to marketing the product. (That was
before the internet days, and I sure wish I'd known of his
work then!)
We
were turned down by a lot of plastic companies when we
approached them. The cover had to have a heck of a wrap to
it, making removal from the mold tool difficult. It had to
fit OVER a non machined, variable size part (all those foam
dashes that were who knows what size). After fitting
protoypes on to A LOT of dashes we came up with a happy
medium. It was a difficult project because we lacked the
plastic manufacturing expertise which would have been
helpful in dealing with the manufacturers.
As
more years passed, other manufacturers did more head
scratching and modified the original designs into what you
see today.
I'd
like to take credit for the idea but I can't. The originator
of this, at least on our end, was the always cheerful,
never-say-die owner of Continental Carpets, Doug Polhamius.
He suggested "shrink-wrapping" the dash, like new toys on
display, with a like-textured cover. It seems so simple now,
but in 1978 you should have seen the looks we received
asking manufacturers to help us. I wonder if any of them
remember us when they go to a trade show and see so many
products like this on the market?
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