Having painted quite a few muscle cars over the years, there are several things that are worth repeating:
Air supply to the spray gun must be dry and oil free, I have tried many different filters/dryers and finally went to an oil free compressor. Moisture is difficult if you live in a humid environment- the compressor will concentrate that humidity. I have always struggled with moisture and went through an amazing number of traps trying to get rid of it.
Breathing clean air while you are painting is much more important than you think. Don't skimp on clean breathing air! Years ago I ended up in the emergency room after painting.......young and stupid!
It will indeed take longer than you think, but if you keep at it you'll be finished before you know it. Don't rush the preparation- when you have it in primer it's a good idea to spray a very light coat of silver lacquer on the panel you're working on, that will show a lot of imperfections you won't see in the primer. And sanding the panel again may show any low spots you might have missed.
You can indeed do it yourself. I still have a car I painted in my front yard in 1982 with acrylic enamel- it still looks good even today.
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