I started with 1000 since it was already pretty smooth, and it seemed to just haze up with out any real polishing effect. I had bought good quality sandpaper from a auto paint supplier, and I was spraying the dash with water as I sanded. It was really wet so I am sure it is that type of paint may not be quite so sandable.

So the way I got the dash the way I wanted was to re-spray after I sanded down the dash a bit for a true final coat.

BTW the bug I painted lasted for 5 years before the guy I sold it to re-painted it properly. According to him there was no rust on the body from paint wearing.

 

It will haze up. Wet sanding is sanding not polishing. All wet sanding does is make the surface smooth. Once you get all the orange peel out of the paint by wet sanding then you need to polish it to bring back the shine.

 

I ended trying to polish it up with 1500 and some sort of orbital device.

My friend came over to help who is good at such stuff. He brought his stuff over to try to help.

I couldn't pull it off after hours of messing. So I sprayed another coat and was very happy with the results.

I buffed out scrathes on a used car I bought around the same time with the orbital thing, but this paint stumped me.

 

1500 grit is still an abrasive, not for polishing. 1500 grit is what I use as my final step in wet sanding. After that I use different foam pads with different polishing compounds.

 

The problem with rattle can paint isn't the rattle can, its the paint inside it. I don't care if you buy Krylon's best, put on 30 coats, and cut and buff it to look like a mirror....you're only gonna see a year out of it at best. Plus, that red Caravan or that green truck (which did look good) you could walk up to right now with a gas soaked rag, or lacquer thinner and wipe that paint right off. It is uncatalyzed paint. It isn't crosslinked. Its basically like an old lacquer job or a really old, before hardener, job. Every one in the spraycan world seems to pride themselves on making their point that they can paint a whole car with 50 cans of paint and make it look good, but it will never last. You can buy a harbor freight spray gun for $25, rent a compressor for $35 for a day, and buy a gallon of paint with hardener for cheaper than all those cans. And....it will still be on the car 5 years from now.

 

I am not saying that rattle cans are of comparable quality to "real" auto paint, but some of your claims are a little exaggerated. I painted that truck in 2004, and sold it last year, but it is still running around town and looking good.
As far as gas wiping it right off-no. However, it took about a year for the clear to truly harden, and in that year, gas spilling out the fill neck and down the side of the truck hazed the clear. I wetsanded and rebuffed it, but it wasn't right after that.
I will give you this one. I have stated the same thing myself. I spent more on cans than it would have cost me to just buy a cheap gun and a gallon of rustoleum.

Again, not saying it is comparable to real auto paint, just that it can be a presentable alternative.

 

The PWC and the Radar arch I Rattle painted are still in great shape 4 years later and in constant AZ sun ,, I think it is because of the 2 part automotive clear I shot them with when I was done

 

For my 1982 Toyota Pickup (sorry not a ford ) I am using Eastwoods Rust Converter for a base to neutralize the rust, then going to spray an SEM High Build primer, then will wet sand with 800 grit. Finally I will use Spray Max 2k color match single stage paint. The primer and single stage cost me just over $200 with shipping for 5 cans of each. The Eastwood rust converter was $18 per can. The great thing about all of these is they are rattle cans. It saves you about $600 without having to buy an air compressor and HLVP sprayers. I have not yet painted yet, but you can follow along here: Rattle Can Paint Job for My Sons Truck