So the red is actually red chrome vinyl that is used to wrap cars. I got a sample piece and used a Cricut to make all the cuts. (With lots of experimentation with paper first.)
As far as guidelines; I did a TON of research, reading through forms here and TCSS. Watched Videos (Madcow's videos are invaluable, I watched them multiple times), drew up diagrams and put them on forums for review by more experienced builders, and generally soaked up any and all information I could. the customization community is very helpful so don't be afraid to ask questions, but also don't expect to be spoon fed all the answers.
The best advice I could give would be, take your time. It took me over a month to build this, making mistakes and learning from them along the way. But the end result is awesome. As a matter of fact, I've begun to draw up plans for the next one...
