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Dash Covers: Protect, Beautify And Customize!

Stylish, custom-fit dash covers let you protect a new vehicle’s dash while it`s still unblemished, or prevent further deterioration on an old car. We discuss designs available.
Dash Covers: Protect, Beautify And Customize!

Benefits of Dash Covers

Everyone loves the idea of having a new car. There is huge appeal in getting a car or truck that is factory-fresh: you get to choose the color and options, you get to be the first person to drive it, you know it's going to be reliable, you start with the full vehicle manufacturer's warranty, etc. In the United States, approximately 40,000 new vehicles are delivered each day, seven days a week! (based on an annual new vehicle sales rate of 14.6 million units). We obviously love our new rides.

On the other hand: plenty of us are purchasing used cars and trucks. Whether it's to serve as a backup vehicle, or occasional transportation, a first car for a new driver, or just to save some money, used cars and trucks are also changing hands multiple thousands of times per day.

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Now consider this: if your car is new and you plan to keep it a while, you want to take care of it, right? You will get the oil changed at the manufacturer's specified intervals. You'll wash and wax it. You may inform your friends that "there shall be no eating or drinking" in the new car. If you're starting with a used car, you may find yourself taking care of some "deferred maintenance": perhaps no one has changed the transmission oil or coolant in a while.

Whether the most recent automotive acquisition is new or used, have you considered protecting the dashboard? Because it's seen as an item which requires no upkeep, it's one of the most neglected parts of your car, yet it is subject to brutal abuse from constant exposure to UV rays. This onslaught has only gotten worse in recent years as styling trends have pushed windshields to be tilted back at a larger angle. Side and back windows, typically more vertical, let in less of the sun's harmful rays. For the new car: if you plan to keep it for a good long time after the warranty has ended, why not protect the dash while it's unblemished? And for the used car: if the dashboard has become an unsightly mess, with fading, cracks, and stains, there is a cost-effective way to hide the blemishes and prevent further deterioration. The answer in both cases is the custom-fit dash cover.

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Dash covers are available from a number of specialty automotive manufacturers, and all of them offer applications designed to precisely fit onto your exact year, make and model vehicle. They also offer a wide variety of colors to match, complement, or contrast with your existing interiors colors. Given the emphasis on safety these days, rest assured that provisions are made in these covers to allow devices like air bags to operate. These covers also are customized to ensure that they do not interfere with sensors, controls, glove boxes, etc. Many of these covers can be further customized to include a logo or embroidered message.

There are other advantages to the dash cover. Protection from the sun means a decrease in "fogging" of your inner windshield from the plastic de-gassing. You may also find a reduction in glare, something that becomes critically important when driving in strong sunlight. There can even be a drop in vehicle interior temperature as a result of the dash cover's use.

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If you are picturing something that looks like a large beach towel, haphazardly thrown onto the dash top, those days are long gone. The custom fit on today's dash covers means that in some cases they are barely detectable. At the same time, you may want one for reasons that go beyond "protection". Some car owners welcome the contrast that a dash cover, in a color different than the car's interior, can bring. Since there are so many hues to choose from, you may want to purposely add a different interior color, or match the exterior color. Don't forget a complete coordination of interior accents! Starting with floor mats, an increasingly popular choice is the combination of carpeted floor mats AND a dash cover, color-coordinated to make a real fashion statement. Add in a dash kit, in a complementary color, and you will have an interior like no other.

Dash Covers Designs And Colors

We specialize in dash covers from DashMat, whose choices include velour, suede, and UltiMat materials in up to 12 colors. Material choices from Dash Designs include brushed suede, Sedona suede, poly carpet, plush velour, and camouflage in up to 15 different colors. Coverking, well-known for its car and seat covers, also excels at dash cover offerings, which should be no surprise given the quality of its other products. These soft, pliable dash covers usually install with adhesive tape, and can be removed for cleaning or maintenance.

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In a related vein are the dashboard covers from Coverlay. These are made from ABS plastic, are available in up to 13 colors, and are considered more of a "permanent" installation, as they are glued in place with silicone. The Coverlay option is the better choice if the desired end result is to cover some significant damage. The great advantage to this kind of cover is that the original dashboard stays in place. Think of the Coverlay piece as a new "skin" glued over the old one. They offer a dashboard cover which extends from door to door, or, for a limited number of vehicles, an "instrument panel cover" which extends into the center console. One more word in its favor: the ABS plastic is paintable (with interior plastic spray paint) should you want a perfect color match.

Demand for dash covers has been so strong that the cover manufacturers have also realized there is need to protect the "rear deck", also known as "package tray" or "hat shelf". Found on sedans and coupes, this is the shelf which sits between the top of the rear seat back and the rear window. This area also gets sun-blasted, and combined with a dash cover, floor mats, and dash kit, a rear deck cover will provide the final finishing touch for your one-of-a-kind interior.

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