From what I have read online, the peeling clear is almost impossible to stop or repair without repainting. Some people have said that the deterioration of the paint would be lessened if waxed regularly and since the suns rays are the cause in a lot of cases, removing from sun ( if an option ) was also advised.

I tend to look at this as a defect in the paint, because many cars of similar age do not display this problem. Even cars I have owned and not waxed do not loose the clear coat.

As for the plasti-kote, I believe this is a laquer finish, so it is a better DIY product, but not as hard as enamel and therefore not as resistant to scratches/dings as other finishes.

Some info online suggests that the spray method is a good temporary fix to make a car look better while you wait for a real body shop finish ( or the car to die). Since I only paid $500 for the car, it doesn't make much sense to me to pay $1200 for a decent paint job... at least not now. One person said it will look good for 2 to 4 years. Probably for that paint, keeping up on the waxing would be a good idea to add protection. More info to follow.

Thanks, for the tips on the clear removal and the issue of the horizontal surfaces with the rattle cans.