Want Advice From Paint (semi) Pros
 

Ordered paint from ColorRite. Paid their silly price in hopes of getting real close on the second fastest color (R157). It's just the front fender for now. I have already primed and painted it in a color that, in my opinion, did not match very well. I plant on wet sanding again to get the surface prepped.
This is a two step color. A base and a top coat. Have read the instructions on the can and they are clear enough for even me to follow. I also have a 2K clear coat to finish with.
The questions are: Should I prime again? If so, what color primer? How many coats of clear (have read 2-3)? Does the clear coat need to be wet sanded and polished (I have all the goodies to polish)?
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Not exactly the reply you were hoping for but... My boss bought one of these that had tank damage.
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He went through ColoRite and got the blue paint for his painter. When it came back, color was very close but not perfect. It was a little bit too yellow. The human eye is most sensitive to the color blue, add to that the fact that I spent 25+ years in printing as a pressman and I'm super critical. Several years ago I had the nose of my car repainted because I ran into a larger cardboard box after the car in front of me lifted it into the air. Color wasn't perfect and when I talked with the body shop, they assured me it was the correct color and that the clear coats used may have contributed to the very slight variation. I lived with it because it wasn't that bad. After doing research, I did find info that the factory may have used a slightly tinted clear.
Not sure where your red stands vs factory but maybe add some clear to the mix before final judgement.

The darkness/shade of your color will depend how many coats of base and how many coats of color you put on. I did sample pieces and matched up against my tank to decide on correct formula. I wet sanded between the last two of three coats of clear.

Any info helps. I too have read that the clear was tinted. Don't think that I'll attempt a blend with rattle cans.

Thank you. That confirms what I have read about applying the base and color coat. How long to wait to wet sand?

My 2 cents, for what it's worth (since I'm NOT a paint pro)... I've always done all the bodywork myself since I'm good enough at it and left the paint to a professional shop (and like everything else that's also hit or miss). When I restored a pearl shining yellow '99 a few years back I brought some factory bodywork to a local body shop and they matched it pretty damn well when they painted my tail and side fairings. And that looks like a pretty hard color to do that with. I'm pretty anal and also have a graphic design degree (yes I took color theory) so I have a pretty good eye. I'd say it was about a 95% spot on match. NO ONE would have noticed besides me, and that's only because I knew it was repainted in the first place so part of that was probably just knowing that.

Yes I've rattle canned parts before. And if you let it sit long enough you can wet sand and polish it and it'll LOOK awesome but it always seems to be "softer" than what a body shop lays down. As in it's not as hard or durable.

Also think you could consider just painting the front fender black. Always thought that looked good on anything.

Since I already have the paint and 2K clear coat, I'll just dive in. Can't be any worse than what's on the fender now.
The two part rattle can clear is a very hard finish. It's holding up great on the front wheel that I sprayed.

If you have not yet done the work...To begin with make sure you use an adhesion promoter before painting anything, including primer. You can do fantastic work with a puff can especially if you use the handle attachment. Either way-- clean clean clean and then clean again. Use a solvent to final clean, then use a tack cloth, be sure to wear rubber gloves or you will find finger prints in your finished product and you will be pissed. Edges are extremely critical as it is a naturally thin layer of paint at that point so sand and clean well there too. Use an epoxy primer and it almost wont need to be sanded. The finer the paper, the nicer the finished product, you will not be able to fill in any sanding marks with more paint or clear, ever, it will only enhance the defect. Anyhoo, sand that primer by hand, wet sand, 1000 grit and you should be all set. The number of base coast depends on how heavy you go, I suspect you will need three in this case. Flash time will be quick so basically you need to apply a coat, let the room clear, shake your can again thoroughly and apply another, repeat. Hopefully the clear has been shaken (not stirred) as well, after the third base coat shake the crap out of that can and apply 2 or 3 clear coats. There are other ways but this will work for you and your application, it will adhere well and it will look good. Allow 24 / 48 hrs to cure and wet sand if you like.

Shake those cans until your wrist hurts or it will not look the way you want (assuming you don't have a shaker). Maybe a local paint store will do it for you... You can always sand it down a

Thanks ACE,
It's been a while since I sprayed the fender. The paint matched very well, but I did not do the best job I could have.
I got impatient, was getting late one evening, decided to have at it. Lighting is my number one issue. Being able to see has caused problems before. I did not get good coverage with the top coat on the leading edge of the fender. As I said, the match was good, as the color changes with the amount of top coat applied. So I did OK with that. The other flaw is a couple of blemishes in the clear coat. Don't know if didn't wait long enough between coats of clear or if I started with the clear too soon after the top coat. The defects are minor enough that only a very close inspection would reveal them. I know this, I have a lot to learn about painting.