Kudos for buying some tools and wanting to jump right in!
I did the same thing about three years ago, and have learned so much along the way.
If I were you, I would buy some 18 and 20ga sheet metal. 20 is incredibly easy to bend and flex, which makes it much easier to shape into the inside corners of doors, etc. 18 is easier to weld if you're just starting out and is nice to use on a mostly flat section because it is less prone to warping when patched into a quarter or fender (my experience when first starting).
Lastly, if you've never done this before, it is more time consuming than you will ever imagine. It took me a good while to learn not to rush. When I first started I would fit things reasonably well, (at least I thought so) and weld them in, then try to hammer and grind to make it look nice. Eventually I learned how much easier it was to spend more time fitting, and cutting, trimming, and fitting, and so on, until the metal lined up perfectly, and even then, you still need to hammer trim as you weld.
Anyhow, have fun making some noise in your garage!
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