E-Bodies.org Cuda Challenger Forum

Hey everyone,

Im working on my dash for a 70 Challenger , single speaker, non a/c car.  I watched Cuda Codys fantastic videos on the steering column and gauges.   I went to my local ppg supplier to buy/located the lacquer suede additive.  They have no way of offering it.  I live in Alaska, and I haven't been able to find anybody  in Alaska that can even get it.  I called a couple places in Washington state, but they couldnt help either.  Also, with the cost of shipping hazmat to Alaska, I dont think it will be favorable for me to use it. 

My question is, what are you guys using to achieve the closest look without the suede lacquer?

Sem trim black works very well .  Use there whole product line .. primers etc to make sure they play well together ... I put on light coats and then a nice fat coat to finish youll see what i mean when you spray it  ..  my  :alan2cents:

https://www.eastwood.com/trim-paint-satin-black-aerosol-15-oz-net.html

Quote from: lulurocks(Ken) on February 04, 2020, 02:38:37 PM

Sem trim black works very well .  Use there whole product line .. primers etc to make sure they play well together ... I put on light coats and then a nice fat coat to finish youll see what i mean when you spray it  ..  my  :alan2cents:

https://www.eastwood.com/trim-paint-satin-black-aerosol-15-oz-net.html

I recommend the same. Especially the part about using all SEM products throughout


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Does the SEM trim  black have a texture to it or is it a smooth finish?

When you lay it down fat it gives a  satin  texture that is really close to factory ..

Buy extra and play with it  on some sheet metal  .   Youll see how you can  play with distance and thickness of coats and time between coats   and achieve the right texture .

Quote from: Jalaska907 on February 04, 2020, 02:23:47 PM
Hey everyone,



My question is, what are you guys using to achieve the closest look without the suede lacquer?

If you have powdercoating shops near you I would look into them.  I had my dash frame and all column parts done by a powder coater with a textured powder that I feel is very close to the suede finish.  I lucked into it by accident, at work we had a fabricator make some small boxes for us on a project and I had him get them powdercoated as well, when received I was shocked at how close they looked to the dash texture.  I took a piece home and compared to several different parts of the dash that still had decent texture and it was very close.  I found out what shop he used and got all of my parts done there.  If you are doing black I think this is good route, colors are probably harder to match.

Also there is a thread on this site where Mike Ross talks about different powdercoats and the dash texture is one.

Quote from: cudaize on February 04, 2020, 04:49:45 PM

Quote from: Jalaska907 on February 04, 2020, 02:23:47 PM
Hey everyone,



My question is, what are you guys using to achieve the closest look without the suede lacquer?

If you have powdercoating shops near you I would look into them.  I had my dash frame and all column parts done by a powder coater with a textured powder that I feel is very close to the suede finish.  I lucked into it by accident, at work we had a fabricator make some small boxes for us on a project and I had him get them powdercoated as well, when received I was shocked at how close they looked to the dash texture.  I took a piece home and compared to several different parts of the dash that still had decent texture and it was very close.  I found out what shop he used and got all of my parts done there.  If you are doing black I think this is good route, colors are probably harder to match.

Also there is a thread on this site where Mike Ross talks about different powdercoats and the dash texture is one.

That's exactly what I was thinking, the powder I use is "Harley Fine Texture Black", all you'll need is 1lb to do the dash as well as the column parts.  I will never use paint on those parts again.  If you have a powder coater near you, talk to them about that exact powder and you'll be good.  Remember, the column mounting "saddle" and firewall mounting brackets will be semi-gloss black.

https://www.amazon.com/Harley-Texture-Black-Powder-Coating/dp/B019YF5BGY

Powder coating is far more durable. If the dash was out of my car i would definitely go that route.  :alan2cents:

Quote from: JS29 on February 05, 2020, 07:18:23 AM
Powder coating is far more durable. If the dash was out of my car i would definitely go that route.  :alan2cents:

For you? Take it out and I'll do it for free. :yes:

 :thankyou: I am going to see about one of the 1970 barracuda gas cap's for my gran coupe.  :handshake:

I had a hard time finding suede or satin black. I didn't know anything about this type of paint before I started, but my old paint shop said they didn't have anything. Then I saw this on the shelf for a lot of money. I checked Amazon and bout it there instead. Not sure how correct this is, but this is what I used and it came out great. I used it for the steering colum, the metal parts of the dash and other pieces.

https://www.amazon.com/SEM-HR010-Hot-Rod-Black/dp/B008K1FX5I

Auto paint stores will have sems trim black which is satin black.If you powder coat and scratch the front of the dash ashtray or glovebox it will be hard to match the powder coating color.

Quote from: B5fourspeed on February 05, 2020, 10:41:43 AM
Auto paint stores will have sems trim black which is satin black.If you powder coat and scratch the front of the dash ashtray or glovebox it will be hard to match the powder coating color.

I think the idea of powder coat is that it won't scratch as easy as paint, but you are 100% correct....it would be very difficult to fix.  :alan2cents:

Thanks everyone, I like the idea of powder coating but there is not any reputable shops around my area.  closest is about 5 hours one way.  I think Im going to play around with my spray gun, and a couple additives to see if I can come up with something close.  Wont be perfect, but I think it will be ok. 

I had the UPS Store box up my dash frame and sent it to @HEMICUDA (https://forum.e-bodies.org/mlist/hemicuda_27) to be powdercoated.  The turnaround was quick and the results look fantastic.  Just throwing out another option.