[DW31S]

I'd say take your time, finish the metal on the original frame. Time is on your side. No frames are perfect and you can do that amount of body work yourself (with the lad). A good paint can be used when you have it nice and smooth. You don't plan to powder coat the body do you? Of course not, so with what I hear you plan to do with the car, I'd say refinish, block, prime, block, prime, ..........and when your satisfied paint it. Then you can say it is the ORIGINAL FRAME AND YOU AND YOUR SON DID IT! Spend that powder coat money on some go-fast parts.