Beginner Body work

Sounds to me that you will have to remove all the paint before repainting. I am by no means a body/paint specialist, but what I would do is first concentrate on replacing rusted area with new metal, then repair dented areas, and after that remove remaining paint in sections, priming areas that are repaired and paint is removed as I go along with a self-ecthing primer. This way you won't get overwhelmed with the project, and you can still use car while doing the work. As far as professionally having it done, I would imagine having all the rusted and other damaged bodywork done, along with removing all the paint, trim, etc., and painting the car could cost anywhere from 4 or 5 grand to 10 grand, depending on quality of work. As stated before, I am by no means a body/paint specialist. This is just my opinion. Mike