Matte or Suede exterior finish on Spider

[flatlander]

Just curious as to whether anyone has seen (or, better yet, has pictures) of any Spider done up in a matte or suede finish. i have seen a fair amount of American iron done that way - some I like, some I hate, so It makes me wonder what my Spider would look like.

[azruss]

Dont know if this counts, but here is mine in the primer state. My personal opinion is flat or semigloss finishes are much harder to care for than a gloss finish. The 124 curves are well suited for a light mat finish. I think the beautiful lines would be obscured in a dark color like black.

[flatlander]

Thanks for providing some additional food for thought. I do remember mine when it was in primer and I thought it looked pretty cool but It did not have anything like the windshield or any marking to help define its look. My paint is in great shape, but I did less-than-perfect bodywork before I painted so the supergloss clear makes every little defect stick out like a sore thumb so I am considering redoing the whole thing.

[Redline]

If you think your less than perfect shiny finish looks bad, wait until you see a matte or satin finish when it has either been abused or washed the wrong way. If you want matte, I would consider trying to wrap it yourself with matte vinyl. The size and complexity of the 124 body is not so daunting.

[btoran]

i dont think suede would hold up very well to rain or washes.

[DanD]

I had a nice little spider in primer about 10 years ago. I washed it with water and a scotch brite pad. It had a nice interior and a good stance, and for whatever reason, people loved that car. Mat or satin are pretty easy to deal with in comparison. you just wash them, and you can hit them with a spray detailer before you dry them.

The question is, do you know how to prep, and do you know what product you want to use, and how to apply it ?

For what it's worth, satin or mat white is about the most forgiving finish for concealing blemishes, unless you go for WW1 biplane camo or zebra stripes. I always had a thing for zebra stripes.

[flatlander]

Don't think I'll be going with zebra stripes or camo. Car is currently done in black cherry and I have a lot invested in the interior leather to match so it is likely that, if I do go with a low gloss, it will still be in that same color range. I could maybe do gray since the parts of the interior that are not in the wine color are dark gray, but I don't want it to look like primer.

[carl]

Is there such a think as matte clear coat? That way you get to keep your current color.