This is one point not often covered, getting the muck off first, from what I see mentioning Waxoil on this site can be like a red rag to a bull, but it would be interesting to hear from people who have found a good place to get the chassis hot washed and prepared for treatment, I am looking to get mine done this summer and its good to know that you are not wasting time and effort trying to paint anything on top of wax and muck, even old Waxoil can get a bit tatty and its best to get it off before starting again, having the work done well would seem to be a sound investment.
Perfect scenario would be clean chassis good strong primer ( how I miss the old read lead) and paint then a once over with Waxoil, but don't forget the inside of the chassis many people seem to prefer Dinitrol for the inner cavities.