[PontGuy]

So you are following almost exactly the same path as I recently did for my Lemans. I did all the repairs and paint underneath and in the interior myself, but turned it over to a local shop for exterior bodywork and paint.

I did a garage restoration and paint job on my 67 Fb many years ago. I built a plastic booth in my garage and used filters to let in fresh air and fans to exhaust and keep the dust down. It was a great learning experience and it turned out quite good especially considering the money saved, but something I never want to do again. The main thing I learned from the experience is that it is all about prep and that part takes a lot of time. One side of the FB was much rougher than the other and I spent months getting it right. I spent a lot less time on the good side. Sure enough, when it was all over the rough side really looked great, but the good side had some imperfections that I didn't get blocked out all the way. The more time spent in prep, the better it will look. Of course when you give it to a shop the labor really costs, so its a bit of a balance between expectations and the price tag.

Since you know the guy that is doing the work and it sounds like he wants to do things right you should get a very nice job that meets your expectations. Just be sure to keep a close eye on what he is up to, recognize the amount of work involved, and help out where you can.

Looking forward to seeing how it comes out!