Steve, I personnaly haven't had nothing but trouble with paint shops both expensive with reputations and middle of the road with good reps. After being taken for a ride more than once I said enough is enough! I have been teaching myself body and paint, haven't regreted it for a second! Heck, I have moved from single stage paint to multi stage with pearls and metallics mixed! I have seen the responce and everything is right on the money except one. One of (the mentioned shop's) founders grandsons used to hang out at a local cruise spot, I heard alot of scary stories and what they said about the quality of the paint is actually worse than stated. For fun I applied there when learning to paint, would have been hired if I could speak Spanish! Anyway read anything you can get! Buy a cheap DA (they don't last too long even the expensive ones) and the best HPLV gun (Iwata or Binks, Iwata prefered) you can scrounge money for...and keep it clean. Buy some plain jane paint and paint the trash can, frig, wall, dog(whoops maybe not that) anything that doesn't move and see how long it takes to run, what causees fish eyes...etc. Study your handywork and see how to make it better. Take a class at a JC/Vo-Tech center they are cheap and you don't have to rent a spray booth (highly reccommended) you can use the equiptment (although I would still use my own gun...and don't loan it out!). The only problem I see is the rust repair, pay someone good to do it (it is much easier and quicker to learn how to block/prime and Paint than it is to learn how to weld without warpage!). Thad the ImpPoster wanting to give the Grey Ghost a new coat.....If only the Missus would loosen the purse strings! (heck I got two nephews who are eager to learn, one that aready does a great job of blocking!)