Ray,
I had issues with the paint work and screwed some of the deals so I am considering getting another set and stripping it.
Decals go down well. They are thin and settle down nicely. I had issue when laying down tape over them to do touch ups. Not the best idea for any decal I suppose. I have gotten away with it before.
There are colour recommendations on the instruction sheet:
Humbrol #69 for the yellow
Revell #31 for the red
I could not get any Revell red so I just used a Humbrol red #60 which is flat rather than gloss