That grill was shot with Dupli-Color rattle can color match paint, not sanded afterwards, left to sit in the basement for 10 and 1/2 months if not longer, Then wiped down with rubbing alcohol and shot with rattle can 2k clear. No sanding between coated (only prior to top coat) no sanding, polishing or wax on the final product. In short the rattle can 2k clear is really good stuff. It's not cheap, but it you can lay it over a rattle can base coat and the end result is properly decent looking.
So much so that the hood is going to have to get attention in the coming year.
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Brand please.
In reply to Junghole :
Spraymax, there is another brand out now that I haven't used that actually has an unlimited pot life on their 2K. As excellent as this stuff is, I will likely get a half dozen cans of that stuff to have around for when I'm shooting smaller things like a grill or side view mirrors and I'll save the spraymax for when I'm doing complete body panels
STM317
UberDork
10/19/21 3:45 a.m.
When you do the hood, do yourself a favor and remove it before spraying. I've always gotten much better results while spraying vertical pieces than horizontal ones.
I used 2k clear on the wheels I painted last spring. Rustoleum rattle can color over their primer. The clear is chipping in a couple of spots. I didn't have this happen before with Krylon gloss clear on the same wheels previously (didn't like the color the first time so I did it again). I don't know if I'd pay for the 2k again over Krylon gloss clear. Your mileage may vary, of course; that panel will catch some bugs and rocks so it might be a good test of the stuff.
Mr_Asa
PowerDork
10/19/21 7:45 a.m.
Every clear rattle can I've encountered reacts horribly to UV. This been out in the sun long enough to let you give a comment there?
The downside to a 2 part clear over 1 part paint is that the paint will continue to offgas, which may cause the clear to lift.
In reply to Sidewayze :
I applied the basecoat several months ago in this instance, I washed the grill before clearing and wiped it down with rubbing alcohol, but I did not sand it after basecoat.
Ignore the dirty finger prints, I didn't wipe them off after install.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
I'll report back in a few weeks
In reply to captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Those who are skilled at rattle can painting will have no problem painting with a proper paint gun.
Rattle cans have a tiny pattern with a small volume of paint and the pressure is constantly changing as paint is expelled and propellant has to fill a bigger and bigger volume.
It's like painting with a barn brush instead of a pin strip brush.
STM317 said:
When you do the hood, do yourself a favor and remove it before spraying. I've always gotten much better results while spraying vertical pieces than horizontal ones.
Totally and completely agree
the issue will be, how long it stays on before flaking off.
since you didn't sand or scuff the surface, you sprayed clear onto a smooth surface. the sanding/scuffing is done to not only make the surface smoother, but also to give a "tooth" for the clear to bond to. Once the base coat is set up, the clear will not be able to attach chemically to it, so you need to allow a physical bond.
Those who are skilled at rattle can painting will have no problem painting with a proper paint gun.
Dang, missed my calling, I can rattle can the E36 M3 out of some stuff.
A proper spray paint job may take longer than a rattle can touch up. However look at that rattle can car a few years in the future.
Then look at a proper paint job 45 years later. This car has a decade of dust on it but a wash and wax will have it shine very nicely 
In reply to frenchyd :
Rattle can 2k hasn't been around for a decade to see how it'll look a decade later.
