Clear Coating Aluminum

[FastCorner]

Hi guys. Anyone know how to paint un-primed metal?

Here's my story: Just bought a black/silver CoolerMaster Stacker.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119039

Unfortunately, the dim-wits who did the finish at the factory messed up the paint.

(For those that don't know this case, the side panels look like they're brushed and anodized aluminum, but the top panel is definitely painted steel.) It looked like dust or something settled on it while the paint was drying. In any case, I didn't want to ship the entire thing back to NewEgg, so I pulled out my car care products and tried to buff the crap off. The good news is that the blemishes are noticeable only if you really look for them. The bad news is that the top panel went from kind-of-matte to glossy.

Right now, I'm thinking of hitting the side panels with some kind of clear coat. Mostly so that they'll be as glossy as the top, but also to protect the panel a little bit. Everything
I've read says to prime metal before painting, but that would completely go against the purpose of paying the premium for a black case. However, I found some references that say it's as easy as using a spray can:

http://forum.caswellplating.com/showthread.php?t=258&highlight=clear+coat+bare+aluminum
http://www.caswellplating.com/vht/vhtclear.htm

Has anyone used this stuff before? Can it be polished clear to show the brushed texture on the metal? Do I have any other alternatives?

(I thought about scrubbing the top panel with very high grit sand paper to de-gloss it, but I think I like the idea of a clear coat better.)

 

[Qtip42]

You could just have all of the panels powdercoated with a clear. Rattle can stuff wouldn't really help.