WEEKLY UPDATE! Please take a few minutes (10m13s to be exact) and check out video #4:
https://youtu.be/DbSNSA_jFfE
In the video, I use an easy old trick to clean the patina from the firewall, then prep it for some clearcoat. I also paint the cowl area and then get the framerails prepped for paint, and it ends up looking like this: