Steering wheel restoration question on finish

[cjshaker]

I've been starting to clean up and get parts ready for my '37 Coupe restoration and have a question about the steering wheels in these cars.


Most of the restored cars I see have very shiny and smooth finishes, much like you'd see on later '40s and up cars. However, my wheel has a very dull and textured finish. The wheel is in perfect shape as far as cracks and such goes. I cleaned one spot and found the surface to be very uniform and in great shape, but not like I typically see.


I'm really tempted to leave it this way. It has a very nice "grippy" feel to it, and in my opinion, it still looks great this way. My only concern with going that route is keeping it clean. I'm curious what type of finish they had from the factory. If they were shiny, and I decided to go that route, what prep would you guys use before painting? Or would you leave it alone?


And yes, I'll be keeping the vintage speed knob. I haven't taken it off yet to restore it, but I'm betting there's a good chance it's left imprints on the wheel. Not a big deal, I can just put it back in the same spot.


Edit to add that the one spot in the bottom picture that looks 'shiny' is just a glare from the sun. The whole wheel is as the first picture shows.