For my 1966 Mustang, I chose to do a frame-up restoration rather than a body-off. The difference: body-off means you remove the body from the frame and restore them separately. Frame-up means you strip the car completely but restore it assembled.

The frame-up approach was the right choice for this car because the torque boxes and shock towers were in excellent condition and I didn't want to risk misalignment re-mounting the body. For a car with structural rust or major suspension issues, body-off would be better.

Either way, the preparation work is more important than the paint that goes on top. Every hour spent blocking, priming, and blocking again is hours the finished paint rewards you for.