In regards to your theory on clear, the answer is yes and no. An excellent paint job can be obtained by starting with a factory job. First the paint should be wetsanded with 600 grit sandpaper. Of course you must take extra care not to remove the basecoat, especially on the edges. Then shoot a layer of clear. Let this dry and wetsand it with 1500 grit paper. Buff the 1500 grit sracthes out. If done properly this will result in amazing results. The more times you do this the better it will look. However, you really have to know what your doing to start with. Secondly, eight coats of clear is an awful lot on a car that will see daily driver type exposure to the elements. The clear can actually begin to crack if too many layers are applied. You can also run into problems with doors, trunks, hoods closing properly if too much paint is apllied. Simply adding more layers of clear after each has dried will not produce the show car type results you are seeking. Each layer needs to be wetsanded and buffed out. This can be quite labor entensive, and product consumptive, which of course equals expensive. Many people opt to wetsand factory clearcoats and have them buffed out. This is not nearly as expensive, but is not really the way to go. The paint may look great, but you have removed some of the clear coat protection from an already relatively thin layer of protection supplied by the factory. If you want less "orange peel" and a clearer paint job the 600, clear, 1500 buff job at least once is probably the way to go. This process is not cheap, and should probably not be attempted by novices. The risk of ruining your paint job is far too great IMO.