Learning to paint....

This thread has produced a lot of info for me, but one thing I thought about today was what "kind" of paint to use. Acrylic used to be the thing I think, then poly was all the rage. What's the best thing for a beginner to use that's not a single stage?

With my son going to boot camp soon, I'm thinking of doing the paint while he's gone. If not while he's at boot, then while he's at school. Most schools in the corps won't allow cars so I'll have the car for at least a year longer.