I decided to take the cowling to a body shop owner (who also happens to be a fellow EAA member and is also building a Lancair) to smooth it out and get it ready for paint. He suggested that I add some ribs to make it stiffer first. So, I glued some styrofoam strips to the inside of the cowling and covered them with a couple layers of fiberglass.
While I was at it, I decided to re-do the oil doors, since I wasn't totally happy with the way they operated. Rather than using the sophisticated (and complicated) hidden-hinge system, I decided to just use a regular piano hinge.
Total Time: 26.25 hrs.