Preparation was fairly basic. Removed any loose dirt debris with an air hose. I did a thorough cleaning with some Brake Cleaner since everything was raw material. As far as painting goes, I sprayed everything with 2 coats of VHT engine enamel primer, 3 coats of VHT engine enamel paint (gold), then 4 coats of VHT engine enamel clear coat. Was in no rush to put everything back together at the time, so I allowed everything to cure for about a week. As far as the embossed letters on the DCAI and intake manifolds go, I just used a paint marker from a craft store after the clear coat was dry.