War is a terrible truth in our world, but sometimes we can find the good if we look closely. I was just 18 when I learned that some of our greatest achievements in medicine and technology come from war. One such minor miracle indirectly led to a product I have installed on my car today called the Audi Skid Plate. Why? Because I got tired of scraping up the bottom of my beautiful new car and paying thousands each time it happened. More on that later. Let’s backtrack a little and I’ll tell you how all this started.
A Little History
Believe it or not, it all began during the Vietnam War. You see, US military helicopters crashed when the leading edge of the rotor blades were damaged. They needed some sort of protection. Fortunately, the company 3M joined the fight and developed a lightweight urethane technology in conjunction with the military to protect the blade’s edge. The urethane film was so resilient that it was eventually adapted for the nose of fighter planes.
A Little Later
Fast forward to 1998, I just got out of basic and was training to be a Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Specialist in the Air Force. One day, I watched as a full tech was applying what looked like a clear tape to the front edge of a fighter wing. I didn’t get a chance to ask him what he was doing, but in my next class I brought it up. My instructor explained that it was a very thin Polyurethane film and it protected the wing from erosion. Then he joked that even Nascar uses military technology to wrap those cool Indy cars. He knew his audience.
Civilian Life
Ok, here’s where the rubber meets the road or the military meets the Audi Skid Plate. After leaving the service I started a pretty successful business of my own. I had my military benefits and always promised myself that if my business took off I would splurge on my dream car. Well, about 6 months ago I bought a 2018 Audi R8 Spyder. Now, I love this car and I wanted to keep it looking brand new no matter what it cost. Well, ok I didn’t want to spend another fortune, but it was important for me to keep it in great condition.
Unfortunately, it felt like I would hit a pothole; dip in the road or high speed bump every week. The result was that I constantly scraped up the bottom of my new beautiful car. I must’ve had it fixed a half a dozen times before I’d had enough. I remembered what I learned in the Air Force and began my research.
Audi Skid Plate From Sliplo
It didn’t take long to find sliplo.com. I called, explained the problem and asked about their Audi Skid Plate. The guy on the phone was incredibly helpful. He said that the Audi Skid Plate was the best solution, because it would prevent the surface of the road from ever touching the bottom of the bumper. It literally served as a bumper guard. Even better, it could be installed quickly without drilling into the car. It turns out that the adhesive they use is very similar to the technology we used in the military to protect or planes and helicopters. I was pumped!
I brought my Audi in the next day. They only had it for 3 hours I think. It cost next to nothing and I haven’t had an issue with lousy road conditions, speed bumps, or steep driveways since. The Audi Skid Plate is exactly what I needed. I recommend it to every car lover I know…and I know a lot of them.
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