I need opinions please.

The PPG book listed a "zero gloss with texture" for my 69 dash top. So, I bought it and sprayed it. It's hard to take a photo of, but I tried anyway.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/ekammerer/119_1901.jpg

Now, I wonder if it looks weird to any of you all? It seems pebbly to me, and it's possible I just laid it on too dry (lacquer).

I have asked before for pictures of an original 69 dashtop, but it is so hard to photograph with the windshield in I can't tell what (if any) texture the original top had.

I want to get a windshield in soon, so I need to decide if I am changing this. I may just use the low gloss I used on my dash front, or even just Rustoleum 7777 it and be done.

Can anyone tell if it looks "right" in the photo above?

It is a very dull color with some rough texture, more like a spray with to much air. From what I can see, yours looks nice.

I think that looks great. Get it too flat and I think it would reflect glare too much.

The top of the dash on 1st gens was finished with paint having a 'suede' additive mixed in. It causes the paint to craze slightly to knock down glare. Also used on backlight metal trim and rear defogger grille.

That was in the days of lacquer, do not know if there is an enamel equivalent.

Mine's original and very flat. Yours has taller 'mounds'. And looks great. Mine also has a hugger orange shadow underneath the black dash top. The paint-gun nozzle obviously came from the front and they used the least amount of paint they could get away with. Did I tell you that yours looks great?:)

The fisish is the same as what is on the steering column
I found using laquar for interior was best for most surfaces, the plastic ones need a special fix under coat to get good bonding
To get a good finsh I use a elcheapo air brush...
lay on 1st coat, just see thru, then follow with another coat to just stop see thru
3rd coat I up the thinners to get a good flow out and bring the gold fleck in the green paint to the surface and semi gloss finish.
I did have a problem on the sterring wheel, as soon as the final layer went on I emtied the pot, put thinners in and sprayed a layer of 'dirty' thinners over...came up the best of the lot so I did the same to the rest and am bery pleased ...the yellow/gold fleck have come up just like the orginal upholtery has.

Thanks for the feedback guys! I will leave it the way it is. Obviously it is going to look different through the windshield and with the dashpad on, but it's nice to know it doesn't look too weird.

A buddy, who has owned 50 plus 69s, tried to tell me the dash top was the same smooth low gloss as the dash face. Ever since then, I had obsessed about it. I'm not going for 100% factory correct, but I don't want a very visible area to be really strange looking.

Your buddy is right. The top color is the same as the face of the dash in that it has the same level of gloss. I like what you have done with yours. If you are not doing a concours restoration, leave like it is.

The dash top is not the same texture as the steering column.

The R & M Refinishing manual circa 1970 states suede flattener is to be used.

I have had rattle cans mixed with the suede and it matched the original finish perfectly.

There is an excellent photo of the difference between suede and a smooth finish on the Yenko site.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/238165/an/0/page/0#238165

That picture looks great. Can anybody explain how/if there's a way to post pictures here without first posting to my web site? That's a pain!

That is the dash on my 68 GTO.
There is absolutely no gloss at all to the tops... and it really does look like suede when you see it in person.

Due to some recent remodeling I found out that Ralph Lauren has a suede paint at Home Depot... I believe that it is just an additive, if not you may be able to lightly coat the color with matte clear.

http://www.crossroadspaper.com/PICT0935.JPG

Looks a little ruff to me, compared to the factory finish ( no offense) .... I would wet sand it flat with a block and 1000grit ( use a little soap in your water, keeps paper clean and fresh paint is less likley to tear) and give it a double wet coat of laquer thinned a little more than usual ( additional 15 to 20 %) and it should look sweet.