hey Mike, yep, ...their generic Wet Look hardener is cheaper I'm thinking. My initial thoughts were that brushing it on really would not have any ill effects with "iso's" if someone were wearing gloves, ...which the safety conscience guys would likely be doing even if handling 1K products but you do bring up a valid point.
With regard to using all of it in the can, ...point taken but I think in many applications in bodywork, there is gonna be waste. If one buys a gallon can of Bondo, hopefully they don't feel compelled to use the entire can on the car just because they purchased it. Same with solvents, packs of sandpaper, etc.
Tom, hardener itself probably doesn't do much as it is the mil thickness and the flow-out that adds the shine. While I probably do give more emphasis to trying to replicate the correct "as originally manufactured" look, the Paint & Refinish guide says two light coats of enamel were applied and it basically states the finish was semi-gloss at best. For folks who have no interest in the "Form over Function" mindset, adding hardener would likely just add to the longetivity of the paint once applied.
BTW, most synthetic paints don't need a primer under them. Realistically, on topcoats on sheetmetal, we would not even apply a primer if the sheetmetal was straight enough and etched, --and PPG would honor the lifetime warranty. The primer nowadays is more for "leveling".
