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First.. what is your goal? Restoration? Then I'd go to bare metal and come up from there.. fix pitting with filler or other various ways.. leading, tinning, stitching.. etc... then decide on a primer and paint that are compatible and go. Worker? just need paint on her to keep the rust down? knock all the 'loose' stuff of and go. Somewhere inbetween.. say.. a worker.. but looking for a decent 'parade' level pair of clothes? When dealing with rust or pitting.. I sand the heavy off with coarse paper.. then take a wire wheel or flap disc to all rusted / pitted areas... You don't want to leave rust under something you will paint. For areas that are just too impracticle to sand/wheel down.. perhaps use a chemical rust converter / stopper, and/or a primer / paint made for ( to control, and fill in ) rusty metal. For straight areas that have otherwise intact paint, I usually use the old paint as a good base....I usually sand off or scuff it and smooth it down starting from somewhere in the 1xx grit and finishing with 400, then polish it up with 800. Some primers are also sandible for further touch up so you can see high / missed spots. I like to primer the whole thing.. cast, engine block, and tin, including old painted areas.. then shoot it. Less chance for paint to not adhere. Also.. before you7 do any of that.. I like to wash down with a good degreaser.. like simple green for the light stuff, and purple power for the heavy stuff. Carb/brake cleaner for the greasy cracks. Oil will make paint disperse in ugly fish eye patterns like water. However.. depending on your paint and hardner setup.. some paints can use a fish eye remover to help combat this.. All depends on how much time and money you want to spend on it. Paint is like a magnifying glass.. any surface imperfection will be visible thru the paint. Heavy solids primers and sanding help that. In the end, it is better to use cheaper paints and more time on the body work, than the other way around. For instance.. 100$ worth of paint supplies on 2000$ worth of body work gives you about a 2000$ looking paint job. 700$ worth of paint on 100$ worth of body work gives you a 100$ looking paint job... Soundguy
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