I'd like to paint it before I put it in. Any advice?

 

I first cleaned it thourly with de-greaser, then taped everything off that I didn't want painted. Then wiped it down again with solvent (Acetone/alcohol/etc) to get any remaing stuff off.

Then break out the Rustoleum Red Rusty Metal Primer (This is a must, it's almost required for bare metal like this, it makes the paint adhere 100* better/longer); 2-3 coats of primer, then Satin Black Rustoleum spray-bomb paint. Still looks great after 2 years... although no snow/salt ever gets seen in this car.

 

Rustoleum, took the words right out of my keyboard. Yeah the amount of prep you do will dictate how long your paint job will last.

 

Use POR-15 It's the best stuff for that. - TRUST ME

 

Second vote for POR-15. The best product you could ever buy.