I have been thinking about repainting the top of my car and have seen tops with a flat black smooth finish and others with a textured finish. Were both original options and is there any advantage of one vs the other or is it more of a personal preference?
Thanks for any input/suggestions

I think the textured finish looks better if you use the targa vinyl. Smooth looks good if you go vinyl free but is a lot of work to make it look nice.

The texture on my top was fine but the paint had worn thin, so I just re-painted it with Krylon Satin Black (<$4 a can at Walmart). Took about 4 coats to get it right, but I am pleased with the end result.

I like the black textured look. I think it's necessary with the vinyl and gives good contrast without. My red car has a smooth painted top, but I'll probably change that at some point.

For anyone trying to do an originality restoration, they should do it as per the factory. Otherwise it's a matter of preference. One advantage to the texture, is that it hides the flaws in the the fiberglass used for the top which would need to be first finished to dead smooth - which takes time, patience & skill (ask any 'Vette owner about body work).

To answer your question on how they came - they all came from the factory with the same textured finish & satin black paint, the same as used on the F & R Valances, & L & R Rocker Covers - & on the 73-74 MY only, on the black painted steel F & R Bumpers (IIRC the steel roofs of the factory racers 914-6GT were smooth painted).

Everything else from smooth black, to body color are repaints by later owners.

You can just top coat the textured top, if it's still in good shape.

If you want to do yours as original, there is a topic or a few in the O&H Forum on using Wurth Underbody Schutz & satin black paint. Use google search to find it, since the search function on here doesn't work as well. Also try out your techniques for the texture & top paint on some scrap metal, coated cardboard or something first, in order to get it down before doing the parts.

A house painter or Architect would call the texture a "heavy eggshell finish".

If your Valences, Rockers &/or Bumpers also need some TLC, then do them all together.

On your 73 V8 conversion you can also do whatever else you want, since it's not an originality resto, but a resto-mod anyway.


Tom
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Thanks for the excellent comments and suggestions. The top of the car currently has a satin black smooth finish and unfortunately, every smudge and fingerprint shows up on it. I like the idea of the black textured finish and will redo the rocker covers while I'm at it.
Cheers!

Here is a Youtube link to Ed China restoring a 914 top on th Wheeler Dealer TV Show.
Wheeler Dealer 914 detailing