I used lacquer for about 35 years, but finally abandoned it. If this tells you anything, I gave away $1000-$2000 worth.

There are a couple things it does better than urethane, but I was finding that the drawbacks were compounding every year, and I am a determined person who resisted giving it up for years and years.

If every paint and body shop in the US has switched away from it as their primary paint system, you have to realize that there have to be some damn good reasons.

After 40 years of painting, here's my advise:

Start learning how to paint with urethane, and stick with it. It is the preferred paint system today, is far far better than lacquer, and until a good waterbase system becomes viable, nothing is going to replace urethane.

As far as waiting so long, you can do almost anything to it after an overnight dry, and if you use a catalyzed topcoat clear, you should never have to wait more than two days to sand and buff the finish.