It depends on what you want from the truck.
You said a rebuild (and use) as opposed to the truck tou are doing a frame off.
Taking the cab and sheet metal off and and doing a complete prep, puts you in the frame off category.
If the truck is not in too bad shape and you want to have a running truck sooner than the frame off, do the prep on the outside of the body. Sand, prime, fix any small body work and drive it (trailer it)to a decent body that will shoot single stage paint (like PPG Concept)mixed to your color match. The price shouldn't be too bad and you are ready to drive it. Also , it leaves it open for you to open to do more or other body work later. You really don't want to have to deal with a clear coated (2 stage) paint job when doing future work.
The key to a good body shop paint job is you doing the prep. I always have my sheet metal sanded, primed and wet sanded before I deliver it to a painter.
I've actually had great paint jobs done at MACCO by doing everything including the masking before I delivered it. After all the guy who handles the gun is a pro. Shoots hundreds of cars a month. It's the low paid help that does the cleaning, sanding and masking, that's where the mistakes are made.
