finally

thanks guys!

I notice you said you are going to spray with automotive spray paint. Have you done this before? If you have then don't read further cos you'll know but the I learnt a painful lesson the first time I did this. I sprayed the automotive topcoat paint (Duplicolor) direct onto the plastic and guess what?? The paint ate the plastic!! Throw away time. The second attempt I undercoated the plastic body properly (with Duplicolor undercoat)and no trouble what ever. Strange how the undercoat doesn't attacked the plastic, but the colour coat does. I've now done dozens of models that way now without a problem.

Oh yeah, sorry I didn't quite answer your oirginal question, did I?! Yeah, I generally paint everything I possibly can in flat, then I use the future. Some colors don't look all that shiny (like I would like anyway) and I usually just put on some Acrylic Gloss if that's the case, like I said the future will help protect the original paint. But it seems to be 50/50 with just putting future on by itself (without a second "gloss coat") but I really like painting flat, 'cause it helps ease the pressure of getting that perfect "wet coat" with gloss colors.....ever get a cat hair in your final coat??!! Drives ya insane!!!

ok thanks- but it would make a glossy shine over the flat paint at least?

Jiggarks, I've been dipping my windshields for my NSX, and I'm not having the so-called "self-leveling" properties luck at all!!! It must be me though. When I use a regular brush though, it seems to work fine. If you dip it, and it doesn't make it as glossy as you want, you can always use a more aggresive Clear Coat, as the future will protect the paint. All-in-all, test it out on a test piece first before you go dipping anything!!! I'd hate to hear of it going bad for ya.