<VV> aftermarket rear defrost

[Chuck Kubin]

Hey John,
I've had two of these, both purchased back in the
'80s, the second to replace the first one I buggered.
I don't know if Clark's still has them, since the
catalog index says they are on page 105 and there's no
evidence of the product inside.
This is a thin metal strip grid in a mylar stick-on
binder. You mount a switch at the dash and run a
single wire back to where a spade connector hooks into
the corner of the grid.
It works quite well,  defrosting in the coldest
weather quite quickley, although I had a problem with
the wire getting hot and frying the insulation right
next to the connector at the grid. It didn't blow the
fuse and continued working, but I never found the
cause.
This thing does take some careful handling. It goes on
like window film, as in wet glass, squeegie, etc. and
you have to handle it carefully to keep it from
crimping, sticking to itself, breaking the metal strip
or knocking the connector off the corner.
One problem is that it is obvious, something you
aren't used to seeing. It will never look as good as
the skinny wires imbedded in a factory window.
Hopefully newer versions are thinner and less
obtrusive, but to the trained eye orf a Corvair guy,
it seems you look at the back of he car and the grid
is the first thing you notice. Also, it would be so
simple today to put in some sort of limiter that shuts
it off automatically. The original came with a lighted
switch that you had to remember to turn off.
I'd think Whitney's might be the place to try if you
don't find it at our vendors, although since I bought
mine in the '80s, the factory option became really
common and may have killed the demand for aftermarket.

Chuck Kubin


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