Earl's boys could get-r-dun! Just don't wash it more than twice! I think my Barracuda got a Earl-type coating.. From a distance she looks pretty good, just don't get close!
I'm painting all my projects going forward. I'm sure my efforts would look a **** ton better than some of the 'budget' paint jobs.. And certainly no worse than what I'm starting with..
Not hard, just prep prep prep, Sand fill, sand high fill primer, sand some more, block sand. Get a good quality gun, good compressor, dryer, and go for it. If it looks bad before paint, it will look lots worse with paint.