The first few weeks of the project was spent doing bodywork. After removing all the hardware and glass I had to sand through several layers of factory, dealer and aftermarket paint to reach the base layer. Then I primered and block-sanded the car, and painted all hardware mounting areas to protect them from the elements in case acrylic paint didn't end up covering them. During this process I had all the original stainless and chrome refinished, buying a few replacement pieces as needed.