I'm confused as to your argument. 1. I spent 12K to start with. A lot of stuff had been done to it. 2. I do 100% of the work. You could spend 12K on the paint job I have on my car but I did it for under $600. If I had to pay for all my hours then you are probably correct, I'd have around $70K in it...which is stupid.
Before anyone says that paint cost $1200 on up, I use Kirker brand paint. I paid $92/gallon for 2 stage paint. If I had just purchased what I needed it would have been much less than $600 but I purchased different temperature reducers and activators for various weather conditions. I have experience in auto body so no it is not practical for most people.
