[thstone]

It depends.

Really. I'm not just saying that.

Cars can be painted cheaply, moderately, or expensively and the end result will vary accordingly.

A lot of the cost in any paint job is the preparation and body work prior to painting. Skimp on the prep and the cost can come down dramatically - as will the finished appearance and how long it will last.

Do you want all of the little dents and dings removed? Are those little ripples down the panels acceptable? Is there ANY rust? How long to you want the paint to last? Is it ok if it starts to bubble or peel a bit in 5 years or does it have to look like OEM for the next 20 years? Etc, etc. You get the idea.

With that being said, here are my thoughts:
o Show car quality that will last forever - probably >$10K
o Like new car appearance and quality at a highly reputable shop - probably $8K-$10K
o Looks new at first but may not last as long - probably around $6K
o Let's get it done on a budget so it looks nice and I understand that you're going to have to cut some corners - probably $5K
o Just spray the damn thing and I don't care what corners you have to cut; just make it look better than it does today - probably $3K-$4K
o Your buddy knows a guy who works out of an alley downtown. Its not really a paint/body shop but he can do it for you on a weekend when no one is around - probably $2K

Based on the original post, I'd say that you're looking at close to $10K with the color change.