seen this for anyone thats interested.
wet sanding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omMBLzH9RNs
regular spray can clear (no good)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdRQB-jdQh0
stripped the regular clear then applied minwax clear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDtJ17sysZc
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1306900-Foam-Carbon-Fiber-Wing-DIY
Sorry to burst your bubble, but be prepared to sand that stuff all off and redo it down the road. How long you have depends on how much sun exposure the hood will see and possibly how well waxed you keep it.
I did a bunch of research regarding clear coating for headlights that always dull - based on your youtube description it sounds like this is where you found out about the Minwax stuff the same way I did. I used this clear coat on the headlights on my Subaru since they kept getting hazy and required polishing once a year or so. This was the biggest mistake I could have made. The clear lasted maybe a year before turning yellow and hazy - even worse than what they looked like before. Then with more sun exposure it began to crack, chip and flake off. I’m not sure who is using this stuff successfully, maybe it’s in a different climate or something but out here with the warm & sunny California climate it didn’t even last a year. IMO this stuff is complete junk.
Luckily I tested out the Minwax on my Subaru and knew better when it came time to do my JDM one piece headlights. When I refinished those I used normal automotive clear coat (clear + hardener) sprayed with a Pre-val sprayer and they turned out great. The more and more I try things out the more I find that it’s well worth the time and money to use the pro level products like - like clear coats that you have to mix vs stuff that is a single component only.
Another member here who has a lot of autobody experience suggests a more specific product as it’s made for plastics: http://www.semproducts.com/refinish-uv-cured-clear/solaraytm-uv-clearcoat
its made for outdoors.
i have a cf hood that im not using and faded. after reading a few posts on google i haven’t seen anyone that had problems with the miniwax spraycan.
i know for the headlights its different you have to use the regular can and mix it with thinner then wipe on 3 thin coats. haven’t seen anyone having any problems neither. lasted them 3 or so yrs
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/19021-headlight-restoration-new-uv-sealant-idea-3.html
I realize it’s made for outdoors and specifically designed for UV resistance. Trust me, I did hours of research years ago on what people were using and found that the Helmsman spar urethane was getting good results, was affordable, was easy, and was locally available. So I tried it. And it ended up being a miserable failure. I used the spray can stuff on my headlights but I do remember that there were people doing the wipe method you mentioned.
Maybe I got a bad can or something from Home Depot, no way to tell I guess. But what I do know is that there’s no way I’m using this product ever again whether it be automotive or for something else around the house that needs a clear. For me it’s quality clear + hardener now for everything and the Pre-val setup makes this easy.
I hope it works for you, I really do. But just don’t be surprised if your hood turns yellow and the clear starts to flake off…