Auto body repair & detailing: Dry crusty 2 coat, paint base, crusty surface

Question
Thats good to know, that i was waiting to long between coats.
Now that I messed up, It was just the 2nd coat of base paint
that I waited over night, now how do I fix it? I have a    @ 1/3 quart left of base color, enough for one more color coat. I did not apply any clear yet, Can I skuff the color
coat enough for the last color coat to meld in? What are my options?-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi William, You helped me with a 66 mustang paint job and it turned out fine. (some sand marks came tru, but I am still learning). On another car (wife's) I wanted to paint the nose. I took the car to get a color matched and some paint, base/clear. The first coat I put very thin and was ok. The next day I cleaned and tacked, and put on a thicker 2nd coat. Some spots had a dry flaky or crusty surface like a dried up lake bed. I have enough paint for 1 more coat.
Any Ideas on why, How far down should I sand the that 2nd
coat? .
-----Answer-----
Why did you paint the nose on her car? Maybe this will tell me what went wrong. Another problem, is you are waiting WAY too long between coats of clear! The maximum should be thirty minutes, not 24 hours. you see, the second and third coat needs to be able to melt into the previous coats, and this is what paint flow is all about. Wait too long between coats, and the next coat won't melt in, and the clear won't lay smooth. The clear is ready for the next coat after it has tacked off, meaning that when you go touch the tape in a spot close to the finish, your finger can just glide over it without sticking to the clear, but if you press slightly, it sticks to it. If the paint is still slick, wait a little longer. If your finger won't stick when pressure is applied, you waited too long. Hope this helps Bill

Answer
Lightly scufff with a grey scotch brite, then apply the last coat of color. base coat is supposed to be dry and corn cobby, and you spray it dry, not wet like clear coat. I just assumed you were having problems with clear. Spray base coat without attempting to get a glossy shine. Wait about 10-15 minutes between coats of base, and about 30 minutes for the base to dry before before clearing. Bill