How much money do you put into a car?

Here's a problem I've run into a couple times.......buy a clean car. Strip it down to nothing for paint with the intention of just making it just a "cool cruiser". Paint turns out killer. Now nothing else on the entire car can stay in the condition it was because the killer paint job "ups the ante" on everything else.....bumpers, grille, trim pieces, door handles, taillight housings, dash pad, gauges & bezels etc.

It's like you wanna start out building a nice little cottage and realize half way thru it's turning into the Taj Mahal. Ain't complainin', just that....now it's a 5-year deal.