Just wondering where you saw anything on the hood in these pics..
But I know you had to be joking, all you have to do is look at the pics of the areas on either side beside the top, and rear trunk.
That said in a perfect world I would have chemically stripped it to the body. But knowing the extent of rust and filler, and fiberglass I DID SEE, I sure didn't want to get too far down and find even more. So I sanded down with 60 grit, and smoothed out with 220 grit, filled or smoothed rough areas where needed with bondo or USC All-Metal where holes or Jersey rust existed, primed with a build up primer, sanded and repeated as needed 3-4 times. Even then I wasn't perfect, but close.
Also should note that only the doors got replaced ( due to rust and poorly working windows due to rusted pulleys, etc... )
But the rear trunk lid, and hood were NOT replaced.. those were reused.
Oh and if you look at the Before pics:
1) You can see in some of the pics the pin stripe on the body that was under about 3 coats of paint.
2) There was also a glued on door ding strip on the side of the car that had been taped over and painted around at least 3-4 times so when it came off there was literally a cavern in the paint.
3) Lastly if you look around the wheel arches, there was a plastic wheel arch "trim" that was painted over at least 3-4 times as well.. When it came off. Well lets say I had to rebuild a number of areas of the wheel arch lips. Its amazing what you can do with tape and USC All-Metal. The stuff hardens like metal, but works like bondo. It good for filling and repairing things like a missing 1" of fender flare.
4) Lastly, did I mention the car was painted with a Gallon of Rust-o-leum Red Industrial Enamel paint with what looks like a old used brush taken out of a parts cleaner..?
I wish I had taken better during pictures..
So with all that work, there are still areas that you can see the "old bodywork" bleeding through..
Again far from perfect, but from my experience "perfect" usually takes a professional a week and costs about $6000 for a "cheap" perfect job. I did this myself in a garage for $600..
Also not sure I mentioned it before. This was the first time I ever took on a complete car and didn't pay anyone to go over my work before it got painted. I have patched a few fenders, welded in a few floor boards, patched a rusty rocker or two.. but always had to have someone go over my work before paint. I never did bodywork as extensive as the whole body. But I felt considering how bad the body looked when it came to my garage, I couldn't let it leave in that condition and I obviously couldn't make it any worse than it already was.