Captain Planet,
As you move forward a good idea is to use a paint stripper to remove old paint.
With the lead paint issue; I worked on a house for unwed mothers who were dissed by their families, and it was an old house with lead paint on the walls. We used mesh tape in 3 foot wide rolls and put it on top of the lead paint with drywall paste to seal in the lead to keep expectant mothers and their children safe. Lead paint in houses is far more easy to find than in automotive or bike finishes. Smiles, MH