finally started

Glen, now is your chance to take everything down to bare metal and see exactly what you have there. Your final paint job is only as good as the foundation, so start from scratch and you'll never have that nagging feeling of wondering if you missed something.
When doing an old car from the metal out, it's usually a long term project and your clean metal needs to be protected until the whole vehicle is ready for final paint. I usually get one section sanded then apply a couple of coats of epoxy primer. It gives the ultimate moisture protection, and a perfect base for everything else to come. If your piece doesn't need any further bodywork, apply a couple of coats of high build primer during the cure window of the epoxy primer, and then move on to the next piece. If the piece requires filler, you can scuff the epoxy primer in that area, then apply your plastic filler right on top of the epoxy.
Good luck, and have fun.