don't worry about the rating, but i appreciate the thought. an aside, my parents are originally from Rolla MO so i feel like a Missourian at heart.
i just wanted to add that if it's down to the bare metal, you can still achieve good results, but you will have to first score the metal with coarse sandpaper (~150 grit), and then give it a light coat of an automotive primer that is made to bond to the metal. then follow with the touch-up, and go from there.
i know what you're going through; no matter how much care i put into my car's exterior, i always get little nicks and scratches. it's unavoidable, and the low quality of the factory paint doesn't help.
Two last things: 1) is that I've used Dupli-Color (by Sherwin Williams) clear coat and primer in combination with the Ford touch-up paint with good results. 2) it might also help if you use masking tape to tape-off the area you're going to work on so that you don't accidentally sand or paint more than you have to. well, good luck!
