You can clearcoat with a flattening agent.
Interesting comment. I'm not sure which paint you are referring to above. BUT, you can buy cheap 2 stage systems just like cheap single stage paints. You can also buy better single stage paints as well that last for decades.
The finish you get with the paint has nothing to do with it being a 2 stage or a single stage. Its about application, skills, and equipment. You can get some pretty nasty looking clearcoat jobs as well as single stage paints. Just because its a 2 stage, it does not equal a good paint or good paint job.
The advantage I see in the 2 stage paints is that you have more room to correct mistakes along the way. For instance, you can sand out the color coat if you have a problem like a run or sag and then recoat the panel or area if needed prior to laying down the clear. If you make a mistake in the clear coat, you can sand/buff out orange peel, runs and sags and as long as you have a good layer of clear down, you will not affect the color. This is a problem when trying to buff out a metallic or pearl single stage paint.
, and we just cant have that.
