: Yes, the same. Don't let the them know I've gone over to the dark side....

Hi Mike,
Thought SoF was the dark side.

Auto-finishes vary on hardness but are usually harder than varnishes. The harder the finish, the more difficult it is to re-finish if needed. But the finish you can get is something else.

In the bike shop I used to work in, we used a clearcoat on tanks and sidepanels, the highest wear points, to protect the paint-work. Stored indoors, the finish kept the paint bright for about 4 years.
It did tend to chip on impact a bit but the newer ones have better cross-linking to prevent that.

The newer types are probably good for marine or freshwater use as they are formulated to resist atmospheric pollutants in cities.

Mike Savage
South West Cork