It's always difficult to weigh excitement about getting there with getting there the way that is best for your ultimate goal.

The thing about painting that is lost on most is that the biggest part of the job is prep. Every so often here we get a discussion about someone getting a quote for $XXXX.XX dollars to paint a car. The reactions run the expected gamut from "Are you nuts?" to "Is that all?". Sure materials are expensive but what makes the difference between a nice paint job and a spectacular or very good one is in the prep. There's skill in pulling the trigger and laying it down well, but the end result is based on the prep. The bulk of that guesstimate for refinish should be labor...........yep, mostly prep. So, be prepared, don't short cut the prep, and enjoy the process.