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All the following have key points and should address most, if not all of your questions.

1. http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...omotive_paint/

2.

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Originally Posted by Hot Rod Magazine

The Basics
There have been countless kinds of paints applied to cars over the years. Today, the two-step acrylic enamel or urethane paints are preferred. Lacquer has been all but outlawed in most states, so original Corvettes in OE lacquer are a thing of the past. But have no fear, the new paint products are excellent and will give tremendous results. Finishing the paint process with a clearcoat topcoat will add durability to the paint surface and add to its depth when admiring your work later.
Both acrylic enamels and urethane are applied similarly to lacquer finishes, but fewer coats are needed over those legendary 20-coat lacquer jobs you've probably heard of from old guys still crusty with overspray. This is because more paint is applied with each new-style paint coat because of the higher viscosity of the paint (usually a half to one part thinner to one part primer). In most cases, it takes three coats of base color and three topcoats of clear. The best bet is always to enlist the help of a local pro to supply some guidance.

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Do you plan on stripping the vehicle to bare metal, or painting over the existing finish? Stripping the vehicle to bare metal allows you to see what is hiding under the paint: rust, body filler, shoddy repairs, and other damage. You'd be surprised what has been found under existing layers of paint. Stripping the vehicle to bare metal also allows you to know exactly what products are being used. If you paint over an existing finish (perfectly acceptable for some applications), you never really know what's hiding under the surface. Also, if this finish was not properly prepped, your new coating may flake off due to the existing finish flaking off. If you don't know the history of the finish on the vehicle, it's generally a better idea to strip it to bare metal and start fresh. There's nothing worse than having a new paint job flake off, or have rust start popping out, due to shoddy repairs that were made under an existing finish.

When painting over an existing finish, the finish must be in good shape. Faded finishes are okay, but should not be peeling, cracked, or otherwise damaged. If the vehicle has been repainted, we recommend you strip the vehicle down and start from bare metal. If you do decide to paint over the existing finish, wash the vehicle and then use a high-quality wax and grease remover like PRE Painting Prep on the surface. This will remove any wax that could cause adhesion problems. You'll want to wet sand the surface with 320-400 grit sandpaper. This will roughen the surface and allow your new finish to adhere. If there are any chips, dings, or scratches, repair them with a catalyzed glazing putty. Once you make these repairs, you should seal the entire vehicle with a quality sealer primer.

Generally, it's recommended that you stick with one brand's paint system throughout the entire painting process. However, there have been many successful paint jobs that have mixed products. If you decide to mix primers and topcoats from different manufacturers, we recommend you test for compatibility before you start spraying on your project. Tip: Eastwood's new line of primers and clearcoats are high-quality products that work well with most paint systems. These products work especially well with Auto Air paints. For repairing wavy panels, Evercoat SlickSand is also a versatile, high-build, sprayable, polyester primer that can be used with most types of topcoats. It can be applied over bare metal or prepped painted surfaces.