Basic car painting questions

Hi all....

Was contemplating painting my car and had some questions....

I've been searching the web for this kinda of info, but I can't seem to see the forest for the trees on the searches I am doing...so if anyone could point me towards some good car painting info on the web that would be fantastic!

First let me say this.....

I am NOT really concerned about how the final job looks (especially given that Ive been driving for years with it looking SOOOOOOO bad). It is just now the actual body structure is in peril!

I do not have to have a beautiful glossy deep shine and it is not critical that the color last for 10 years without fading...

I DO care that the techniques/paints that I do use are something a first timer has a reasonable chance of not royally screwing up. I want a paint job that does not peel off or cause trapped rapid corrosion etc....

Let me describe the car and my situation...I have access to a 2 car garage that I can turn into a booth with plastic sheeting (though I will probably paint with the door open, and close it up as soon as the job is over). Have 2 decent size air compressors, one electric, one gas powered). Do NOT have an airgun yet.

The car. The body it totally intact. It is a two door hatchback, so not a lot of surface to paint. The original paint is so old that you can pretty much rub it off to bare metal if you try (one swipe with paint remover should do the trick).

The hood and the top are my big concerns....they have become exposed metal and have ALOT of coarse suface rust on them (though none of the rest of the body has any rust or trapped rust).

My BIGGEST concern/question is how to prep these two really pitted and rusted surfaces....I am not sure that I can sand them down to nothing but bare metal safely...So what do I do? Sand, treat with something like ospho?, sand again, prime to fill up pits, then sand again to smooth, or put something else on them to fill up the pits, then sand and prime?....you get my drift I think... Again, I dont care so much that it is baby smooth so much as that is when the job is done it will last and not create some hidden lurking problem...

Another question...I can pretty much take off all the trim/doors/lights/etc off with no problem, but I am not sure how to deal with the painting when it goes up to the edge of the rubber seals for the windows etc....I did find a web site that suggested you basically pry up a seals lip/edge then push some small diameter cord underneath it to hold the lip up. Then, when you prime and paint the coating reaches under the lip, and after the paint drys you can pull out the cord....Any pointers on this? Is there something I can apply to the seals to soften them and make it easier, or some kind of sealer to apply at the lip edges when I am done or some other technique perhaps?

Then there are several places where body panels converge. There is no rust in the inward directed grooves/joints where the panels meet, but it is that old paint...Should I try hard to get the old paint out or just clean good down into the groove? I would think the old paint is probably still good down in between the metal panels since no rust is showing and that paint has not been exposed to sun/air/elements like the surface paint (this car has never been exposed to road salt).

Any pointers on a decent airgun purchase?

Another big question would be what kind/brand of primer and paint to use...again I don't need car show grade stuff....I just want to make darn sure I dont buy crap either...

I have 400 to 600 dollars total to outlay for this project....

Thanks very much for any pointers and taking the time to read this!

Sand down your top and hood to bare metal. Spread lacquer putty over any remaining pits. Allow to dry and wet sand till smooth. Prime with rattle can primer. Allow to dry and wet sand again with 400. Drive to MAACO and get them to shoot some paint on for $275. There. Done for less than $300 bucks and you don't have to worry about prepping a garage or paying $200 bucks for paint and thinner you can easily ruin.