Paint and body are the scariest process of restoration, I wish I knew then what I know now.
First you should decide the scope of work you want to tackle. Do you want a rotisserie repaint? Just a cosmetic exterior? Color change? Do you want it to go to bare metal? Bare metal is obviously the most challenging and costly. It will reveal all the issues with the body; but if done correctly is the best way to discover and deal with rust.
I am in the middle of a coupe restoration. I opted to take the car down to bare metal, twice... The car was stripped to the last bolt. I attached the chassis to a set of dollies made specifically for the coupe and then sent it to the media blaster. After that it went to the body shop for minor rust repair and a lot of massaging. 2.5 years 2 paint shops and almost $30,000.00 later I have what I hope is a quality paint job.
My recommendations are as follows:
Go to some local car shows and scope out the cars for what you feel is a paint job suitable for your coupe. I would go to classic European and hot rod car shows. Interview the owners and tell them what you are trying to accomplish. Ask them about their experience and if they would use that paint shop again. What I want to hear is more than one person's experience with the same shop. Narrow down your results based on what you've heard. I would not listen to what they tell you they paid. After you have collected your data then select which shop(s) you want to interview. Ask them to look at your car and to give you an estimate based on what you want done. Ask them what paint they prefer and why. A lot of people get caught up on brand name paints which are obviously good; but what is most important is what brand the painter is most comfortable and experienced using. Many paint brands are now requiring the use of their primers and other chemicals. They are now calling their paints "paints systems". By doing these they are not only guaranteeing sales; but they are also controlling quality and reducing their warranty rejection rates. Take a look at the shop to see if you like the facility. Is there a lot of work, does any of the work look like its been abandoned? Do they have other like cars they are restoring? I would ask him for a realistic timeline and what they expect out of you. As for payment, I would arrange for a stepped payment plan. Define the completion of a phase and pay when that phase has completed. 1st payment at start, 2nd when the body work is complete, 3rd when its time for paint and 4th when it is time for you to received the finished product. Make sure you have an inventory of parts and ask if you can photograph the process. One thing they must do prior to painting is do a shoot out of the color so that you can approve it. You will then own the color so be sure that you are happy and not settling on the color. This is a project that you should share with the body shop. Work with them and don't annoy the hell out of them.
Some things to remember, you need to supply them with photographs of the schutz line at the front and rear of the car. Make a list and photograph the parts that you deliver to them. Body shops tend to loose stuff. Give them all the parts they will need when they need it and don't make them wait for you to find the part or order it when you discover you can't find it. I would ask them to re-hang the doors, trunk and hood. I would give them 4 headlight covers and 2 fuel doors. Make sure they fit the fuel doors. You don't want to go tweaking fuel doors to fit after you've had them painted. Have them fit the bumpers to your car to make sure they fit correctly to the body. Have them fit your headlight grills, tailights, and turn signals. This is a great time to decide if you want to delete your side markers. One last thing, the paint will shrink a bit more after the car sits in the sun, ask them if they will do a final cut after the paint shrinks up. This will make the paint job look more glass like and also will let the painter know that he might want to shoot an extra coat of clear so that he has enough material to work with for the final cut and polish.
Please keep in mind that even the best paint shops have comebacks. There is always something they missed. Don't be too upset if they missed something small or you find a fish eye in an odd place.
There's a lot more to remember and do. I am sure that others will chime in with their experiences. This is all I can remember for now.
Oh and if the guy sounds like a salesman, run!