Wanting to convert commercial cooler to smoke

[Jjshires10]

I just got a berg commercial cooler that I got for 20 bucks I want to turn into a smoker for sausage. This will be my first build so any help would be appreciated. The inside is aluminum, but painted. Should I strip the paint? I know I'll strip all plastic components out, but not sure on the paint. Or should I line the entire box with steel? Also, I have seen a lot of people ripe the insulation out. Should I do that as well? Anything I need to keep in mind or anything I should or should not do? Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Lonzinomaker]

Is the insulation fiber or foam? If fiber, you should be able to leave it. Will make your smoker more efficient. The other thing is the racks are probably not heat safe unless they are stainless steel.
Don't know about the paint.