I don't mean to be a contrarian, but given that the top was in a faded
condition, unless you specifically requested some level of sheen, how
was the shop to know?  My top is an off-white, and I would be
hard-pressed to say today that it formerly was glossy, though it looks
fine, with a uniform appearance over the entirety.  But I wouldn't hold
a shop responsible for not painting it glossy, unless I had ordered
glossy.  I don't find a finish number for the top on the vehicle with
the paint number.  I'd guess your shop just tried to match what you had.

Dave Mc

On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 8:23 PM, Michael Wagner wrote:

> Folks -
>
> Need some of you to chime in with experience & history.
>
> My '85 Wolfsburg Westy just came back from the body shop after
> receiving a
> replacement luggage rack section and repair/re-paint to the top.  (The
> van
> had an unfortunate encounter with some fallen electric wires reported
> earlier).
>
> The Van is metallic medium brown, and the top is a tan color.
>
> I believe the original finish on the top had some level of "gloss" to
> it.
> It may not have been high gloss, but it certainly wasn't flat or
> matte.
>
> The new paint on the top looks great, but its flat.  So, I'm going to
> make
> the body shop fix it.
>
> So my question is, for those of you with non-white westy tops, how
> much of a
> sheen was the factory original. Mine was faded and dull from 25 years
> of
> weather, but I'm sure originally it wasn't flat.
>
> So - low luster?  Semi-gloss?  Super-gloss?  They're going to make it
> right
> - but have no reference as to what it should be.
>
> Thanks.
>
> M