I've heard this before, but never of anyone doing it. I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work, provided the car was prepped for painting. I suspect it may just be more effort and cost than it is worth, though.

You'd want to scuff the paint anyway prior to adding clear, it may be that they could just lay more clear down so that you don't need to wetsand it.

Factory paint jobs, at least in the US, are regulated by the EPA. Paints are high in solids to reduce VOC's or health hazards or whatever. So they don't spread and lay down as well, leading to orange peel. Or so I understand. I don't think paint jobs in the 70's were orange peely. And aftermarket painters aren't necessarily regulated by the same EPA rules, so they may be able to lay down the paint better.

 

i own a bodyshop and we wet sand (flatten and polish) every custom paintjob we do.

takes talent to so it with the compressor though.

 

My car was down by hand... by a compressor.. thats definetly TALENT!