I can see the orange peel from here!
Never spray a single stage metallic unless you are a highly skilled painter and have a clean environment. I had a CHEAP buddy insist on buying single stage paint despite my warnings and he is in the exact same situation. Orange peel, small hairs, dirt and other crud in the paint that
could have been removed from a non metallic or a clear coat.
Every paint job that I have done has been followed up with color sanding/cut and buff work. Buffing will not remove orange peel.
Metallic particles in the paint land at all different angles. Think of them like tiny ceramic tiles. Some lay at an angle, some flat and some on edge. When you try to sand down the orange peel, some of the metallic particles get cut and opened up. When you buff the car to bring up the shine, those disturbed metallic flakes smear and dull the finish. If it were a base coat that went on well and then a clear coat that had some flaws, you'd be okay. Too late for that now though.
In most cases, NO paint supplier would suggest spraying clear over a single stage paint. The paint companies instead tell them to use a clear coat over a BASE coat exclusively. You could scuff and spray 2 thin coats of the same color in base coat, then follow up with 3-4 coats of clear. If this was a single stage in a non metallic, you could easily sand and buff that with no problems.
Bottom line though: If YOU are happy with the results as they are, that should be the most important thing. I cut and buff every car because where I am, airborne dust is hard to eliminate. I need a forgiving surface that allows for correction after the paint dries.
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