Here is what they are saying..
At least buy the clear in the 1 gallon jug.. If you are concerned with the activator cans going bad as they sit for years, then only buy 3 quart cans of activator.. This will yield you 1.5 gallons of clear coat that has no reduction..
If you have another vehicle to paint in a couple years, I would buy all 4 quarts of activator and keep them in your basement or closet somewhere that is climate controlled.. They can easily last up to 5 years unopened and perform just fine..
The issue with activators going bad is in the opened cans.. Say for example.. You open your can, use half of it.... Its nasty hot, humid summer etc.. Well the chances of the can going bad over the years just grew exponentially.. The iso's in the can "kick" with moisture.. The more humidity in the air that gets into the can that you have poured from can cause it to go bad..
This is why Barry always tells people to always close the can ASAP and not to leave your activator cans open on the mixing table/work bench.. The longer they stay open, especially in summer months, the more of a chance for issues..
With all that said, Ive had activators last for over 5 years that were opened.. However this does not mean this would be your case.. Yet more likely than not your activator in an UNOPENED can would last for 5+ years in my opinion.. Barry would tell you not to buy activator your not going to use and that is for good reason..
Im simply telling you my experiences..
Ive had 1 can go bad over the years.. It was a HS can of activator that was open and sat for years in a non climate controlled garage for probably 3+ years with maybe 4 ounces of the product in there.. Eventually it kicked off and that should be expected under that circumstance!!!!