The paint job on my son's car cost $1500 and that included supplies and labor after we fully prepped the car. But it was painted by a body man in his personal spray booth that he used for side jobs. Not at some rip off soak you dry shop. And prepping the car meant months of blocking and using high quality base and high build primer. Primer and supplies cost me $800, I already had compressor but had to buy everything else.
My original plans were to spray the base and clear myself. But the cost of a good gun and quality paint coupled with the fact I probably would not get it right the first time it just made more sense to farm it out and be done with it:
http://www.billsgarage.info/BodyWorkPaint.shtml
