No need to dread it. The advice on here is really sound the only other thing to add is remembering to 'key' the body before painting. Keying gives a slightly rough surface that the paint will bond to better. I use a metal scouring pad when I am washing the body and this seems to do the trick.
I have made a few mistakes with bodies and they have been caused by-
1. Not cleaning the body properly- There is chemical they use to release the body from the mould and this makes the paint 'split'. So take your time with washing
2. Laying the first coat on too thick- All coats should be light but the first really should just be a dusting
3. Laying paint on too thick- I once painted a body yellow and I got a bit carried away trying make in opaque. The paint ended up so thick that the first crash made the paint flake and fall off.
Painting bodies does sound like a nightmare and there are so many tricks and tips that will make it better but for a single colour it's just a matter of taking your time. It's always better to do more thin coats than try and achieve the finished result quickly.
I back every colour (other than black or silver) with white and I think it improves the final finish.
I also thought if you are painting a body for a nitro car you might want to get some sealant as Nitro fuel will eat away most paints.
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