John Gillis, Chris Leah and other Heraldisti -
Andy Mace wrote
> John, I think the "flecked" dashboard was only found on the very
> earliest (maybe 1959 only) Heralds. I'm not sure if the change in
> finish coincided with the "realignment" of the switches and knobs, but
> by 1960 the dash was more or less just flat/matte/semi-gloss black.
> (At least those I've seen here in the States!)
Though usually loath to contradict Mr. Mace, I offer GA41328LCV, built
in December '61, as a counterexample. The original millboard dash was
indeed matte black with white flecks. The exposed areas are now black,
but that's because it needed to be painted. The flecked finish is still
there behind the wood fascia and, more visibly, inside the cubby box.
So John is right. On the other hand, I can't think of any way to
reproduce the flecks, so you might as well go with black.
As for Chris' original question - use the flattest black paint you can
on the dash top. If there's any gloss at all you'll have a dangerous
amount of glare reflected off the windscreen. Ask me how I know. You
might try black shoe polish.
Bill Kelly
'62 Herald 1200 Convertible
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