I'm planning on just using spray paint for now. Probably rustoleum from the hardware store. I don't think the paint really makes that big of a difference at this stage, the imperfections from my technique and prep work are gonna hide any imperfections in my poor paint choice anyway.
holy self esteem,man....you gotta have a bit more confidence!
you're right,prep is an extremely important part of a good paint job.
the reason i asked is that different types of paint have different fill and blend characteristics.spray bombs put the paint on thin,so are low hiding.this means the prep has to be that much better.
you'll need to look at the surface you want to paint and make a judgement on it's condition.if it's pretty much intact,rough it up a bit with a scotchbrite pad and prime/paint over that.
if it's chipped and ugly,strip all the old paint to bare metal.don't leave any.
now,if there's any small dents or pockmarks left by rust,fill and sand smooth.go over the whole thing with a scotchbrite,then prime/paint.
paint needs to be applied in THIN even coats-basically dust it on,never letting too much build up in any one place at a time.keep going until coverage looks good.this applies to both primer and paint,but after the primer dries completely(overnight)give it a light scuff with the scotchbrite before applying the paint.keeping in mind what i said above about light coats,apply ALL the paint you want on it in one application.i've found with many spray paints if you let the paint dry then try to put on another coat it will wrinkle up then you have to go back to step one.that sucks.