Painting 1977 Corvette

I have a 1977 Corvette that I am considering repainting. I have a shop that will work with me and help me through the job, as I have repainted cars etc. over the years with good results. I am going to do the prep work and they will paint it. The questions I have are:

The car has the original Corvette orange paint that is in pretty good shape with a few chips, blems, etc and some cracking or crazing on the driver's quarter panel. Many folks say to sand or strip down to the fiberglass ( I agree if your are totally restoring and plan on showing the car). I want the car to look better and have a tougher finish as the car will be driven. The question is, is it a unwise decision to paint over the old paint that is sound? Is the cracking in the paint going to be an issue if it is sanded down beyond the cracking?

What type of paint is best for a repaint, as I am looking at Dupont base coat clear coat? I am assuming they can come up with a match on the original paint code, but I have not check into it yet.

I will be priming the car, but what primer is best with the old paint and the new paint? A special bonder etc.?

I am looking for any tips or suggestions in this area. I want to do what it right, but I really want to get as many opinions as I can.

Thanks much.

Dad is the expert here on painting, but my experience has been that once the paint cracks on a Corvette, the only way to have a good paint job after is to remove that old cracked paint.

Fiberglass is flexible, so paint is often cracked even if you can't see it. Paint also tends to peel off when flexed too much, once the paint gets too old.

Some say that the two-part epoxy primers will cover and prevent cracks in the new paint, but at the cost of painting, is it really worth the chance? Spending an extra day or two to strip is a worthwhile investment IMHO.

I don't like sanding because most sand too far, often scalloping the surface, so the painted surface is not smooth anymore. Sanding a metal panel, unless you are very aggressive, usually stops when you are at bare metal. But on fiberglass, you just keep going because the fiberglass sands away rather than stopping you. This is how you create those scalloped surfaces.

Stripper has its own problems, in that it frequently soaks into the fiberglass panel or sticks in holes and then resurfaces later under the paint, causing it to bubble. The solution is to strip quickly, wash with lots of water, soap and water, and thoroughly dry out. Letting it bake in the hot sun often helps draw anything that soaked into the panel out. So to strip today, and paint tomorrow, IMHO, is asking for problems. Strip today in small sections, wash frequently, and let it bake in the sun or heat for several days or more. Paint a few weeks after stripping.

I'm sure Dad will chime in on this, and let you know if I am all wet, but so far, I have been lucky doing this.