Progress Thread Bessee's Build - 1988 LX Hatchback

I've been restoring a 1988 LX Hatchback and I wanted to share some progress pics. I picked the car up in Cherryville, NC for only $2700. I was a good haggler and he already had a few in him and I walked away with a solid car. It turned out to be a two owner car that was originally purchased in a neighboring town, Bessemer City, and had lived there almost it's whole life. That's why I named her Bessee. She has 112k original miles and has been registered every year for the past 30 years. The original paint code is 3R, medium shadow blue, and I wanted to keep her that color. She was rough and dirty and had been living on a farm, but I knew she was ready for a new life.

Here's what she looked like when I brought her home:

I wasn't going to paint this car since I'm already building a 1993 Reef Blue Coupe, but before I could stop myself I stripped her down and started sanding. I kind of wanted to practice anyways, since I don't have a lot of experience with bodywork and I want my coupe to come out really nice. What pushed me over the edge was my boss telling me I could use the shop after hours and keep my car there while I did the bodywork. So it began...