Painting car

[azruss]

You need to figure out how many coats of paint is on the car. The factory paint makes a good base. Repaints can have lots of issues including the quality of paint and quality of prep. The cost of paint and material is very high. better figure $300 minimum and more like $500-600 is what you will spend on paint and sandpaper. When I painted, I bought lacquer thinner in 5 gallon can and i just used it for cleaning paint equipment. If you are a first timer and ok with a 2nd rate paint job, you can save some money. If you want a 1st class job, then expect to pay lots in time and material. The real savings can be if the car is rough with rust issues, wavy bodywork, etc. If you have lots of time on your hands, then you can save money here. To me, sanding down a car and making it flat is an experience in discovering all the lines and contour of the car in a very personal way. Very much like sculpturing. It sounds like you have lots of other things to occupy your time.