Single stage acrylic worth it for quicky paint job?

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Improbcat

What doesn't show is that it had a crappy repaint once in it's life without proper prep of the rust at that time. so there are lots of spots where the top layer is peeling off, or the surface rust is pushing the top layer off, rust in crevices, etc. Between those areas, the replacement panels, the rust repair & the custom work there will be almost no original color left. Since I'd have to "touch up" 80%+ of the truck, I may as well paint it the color I really want.
Also it is going to spend a lot of time outside in New England, so exposed metal or surface rust turns into serious rot pretty quickly.

Sounds like you plan to do only "presentable" body work & prep. No need, then, to splurge on the paint you use. If your green has no metallics in it, just go with acrylic enamel. Put lotsa coats on it and u can wet sand and buff IF your resulting shine is too dull. This should be cheaper than using clear coat for the 'coats to be sanded and buffed'. One of only a few advantages in clear would be u could use green WITH metallics--to be later wet-sanded and buffed.

If body work is gonna be marginal, a duller-than-normal outcome from using A/E and NOT sand/buff [regardless whether final coats are color OR clear]would tend to hide the lesser-quality body work & prep. And the duller outcome would offer somewhat of a patina effect at the same time. Should u luck out and end up w/a slicker-than-normal outcome, you can sand and buff months on down the road--remembering the caveats mentioned above.

One last comment: A/E is really a hard and durable paint. A/E in pure colors[those without metallics] can be sanded-and-buffed to appear almost indistinguishable from similar jobs done with old-time lacquer--with swirls et al--yet last better due to its superior hardness.

Hope this helps and maybe answers some of your questions,
Sam