Need Advice from Paint Experts

[Seadweller]

Originally Posted by blue62

I am "NOT" a paint expert but:
Wet sanding does not work on single stage or base coats of a metallic paint.
Your sanding the metal flakes themselves and changing the way the light reflects off of them. If your going to wet sand it has to be the clear coat only on a two stage system paint. When you "card swipe" your changing the orientation of the metal flakes. Again changing the way the light reflects off of them. Google wet sanding metal flake paint. lots of info.

Thanks...I suspected that might be the case. So essentially, I'll have to fill the scratch below grade, add a clear, and then sand/polish the clear to level? If I get the metallic fill above level and clear coat it, I assume I'll sand/polish through the clear and into the paint, yielding the same result.