#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE MANUAL#
#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE FULL#
#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE PROFESSIONAL#

* The Dash is designed to carry super accurate Steward Warner 160 mph speedometer and 8000 revolution tachometer with 4 service gauges. * The truly unique dashboard and drive shaft tunnel combination assist in further unitization and carries through the split effect of the overall design.

#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE FULL#

* Each Conquest came with a windshield frame with roll bar as noted here: “The provision of a windshield frame safety protection is provided through the use of bow and roll bar combination which takes full advantage of the smart wrap-around windshield.

#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE PROFESSIONAL#

He really approached the business as a professional in every way, and wanted to make the building of a car of his design a success for everyone.Īlthough the Bulk of the Catalog was Text, the Inside Covers (Front and Rear) Showed Additional Pictures of the Conquest to Interested BuyersĪs you review the catalog below, here are some notable elements: There was no stopping Les from making his dream a reality.

#SMARTWRAP PEBBLE MANUAL#

Besides a catalog, he created an assembly manual for his cars which included blueprint assembly instruction too. In the early to mid 1950’s, very little information was provided about building fiberglass cars from the manufacturers themselves – save for Victress – which published two catalogs and a poster during this time. All were fledgling companies, and LaDawri was one of the first of these “second generation” fiberglass companies too.

Like LaDawri, the other soon to be big players in the industry were just getting started with names like Devin, Kellison, and Bocar. But this was amazing in terms of detail for a fiberglass car company at the time. The first catalog was just 16 pages long and booklet sized. This we feel gives a better choice to all enthusiasts with varying demands on time and finances.” “In order to give all enthusiasts the opportunity to become CONQUESTIDORS and build, drive, and own “THE CONQUEST,” we offer kits in varying stages of completion from the bare body shell to the custom finished mobile units licensed and ready to roar. In fact, he shared the following statement in his first 1957 LaDawri catalog: “BUILD A CONQUEST – BECOME A CONQUESTIDOR” In less than a year, Les had setup a company, started producing bodies, and offering kits with different options at different prices. You gotta love a car guy – and the patience I’m sure Joan had to exhibit with Les – like any wife of a car guy. Les and Joan Dawes took their big step in moving from Canada to Long Beach, California with their first child in tow – between them in the seats of the Conquest. Here’s the Front Cover of LaDawri Catalog #1, 1957, Showing the First Conquest Built – It Was a Beauty in Red – and We’re Still Looking For it Today. The “Conquest” name came to be when he and his young bride Joan moved from Canada to Long Beach, California in late 1956. Although it was the “Conquest” as we know it, it was not the first name he chose.

How many 23 year olds have that under their belt by that age? I’m sure he was excited beyond belief when this occurred, and I’ll feature a story about this car and its debut soon. He finished his car and showed it during 1956 when he was just 23 years old. Ultimately, this led to him designing and building his first car while living in Burnaby Canada (near Vancouver, British Columbia) in 1955. More about this special event in a story on our FF website in January.Īccording to interviews with high school buddies and Joan Dawes, Les had been designing cars since he was a teenager. If he builds it, we will come – all of us. We suggest that everyone who knows Jon Greuel should send him an e-mail and make sure his car is ready. And… we hope to celebrate LaDawri at a highly visible event late in the summer of 2011. Wow!Īnd why not? After all, finding the Dawes family in 2006 was what set Rick D’Louhy and me on the path of researching the early history of fiberglass cars. Les Dawes’ LaDawri Conquest Debuted in America in July 1957 on the Front Cover of Road and Track Magazine.

Smartwrap pebble