Quote:

I feel really bothered by the amount of time I have spent on this project, granted all of it was an 1 or 2 hours time slots but a far number of half days.



Here's the deal. and there really is no way around it no matter how you apply the paint:

Prep is the same. The time it took to make the body smooth is essential to make the car look good whether it is sprayed or rolled.

There was a fellow who used a wagner power painter with excellent results, but there was a caveat about capacity or flow rate, I can't remember which right now. Bottom line was that the $29 cheapies were not the best choice.

The best things I have picked up from this thread is that

1. you don't need special expensive two-part "automotive" paint to get a good durable finish.

2. Fancy paint, special booths, and skilled painters cannot hide poor prep work.

So, the investment you made in time to prep is not lost, just unrealized. Banked, if you will. Seal it up with whatever you have time for, its ok.