rookie paint job

Great advice; there is a community college nearby, and I know they have auto body courses. And I hadn't thought of what may be lurking unseen under all that paint. Thanks!

What about replacing the vinyl? What kind of a mess would that be?

I'm still not sure about keeping the color/vinyl original, or......?

What about replacing the vinyl? The mess is in getting it off and cleaning up where it was, and you've got to do that to stop the cancer under it. As for keeping it's originality, that's a personal choice. What are your plans for the car, is it a "rare" original or 1 of a million brown "gold dusters"? If it is something "in between", a lot of people keep all of the original parts in the event that down the road they or someone wants it original.

I would like to see a pic of your '67 Cuda. My son & I restored a '67 Firebird, one that I had owned since I was a kid. I took auto body classes at a local tech school and did the body work there. To make it even better, the state paid all my tuition and books through Hope grants, even though I am & was working full time. I went to night classes four nights a week for four years! Yes, I could have done it a lot quicker, but I enjoyed the schooling and learned something every night.
C