[NO_H2O]

The more complete the job the more it will cost, but this will mean there is less chance that something(rust, etc) will come creaping out of an unprepped area. When you get your quotes, find out what materials and methods will be used(sealer, primer, paint, etc). Will all the bare metal be etch primed with an epoxy etch primer to prevent rust and bubbles later or will they just sand and paint the car. To do the job right it will take a complete tear down of the car, remove rusted metal, weld in new metal, etch prime all bare metal(very expensive primer), seal prime all the remaining old finish, high build prime(2-3 coats), block sand the car flat, surface prime, then paint. That does not include color sanding and buffing. You can wrap up $1200.00 in primer and paint material cost alone and still not buy the best products available. Most "good" body shops will not cut corners or use cheap products so their price will be more than a place that will do a quick (sand and paint) job. You will have to decide how long you want to keep the car and to what degree you want to preserve it. You can go to an Automotive paint supplier and get prices on all the materials to be used by the shop and see what that is going to cost, then add sand paper, blasting media, tape, etc and get a good idea how in depth the shop is going to go on your car. The supplier can also tell tou the differance in the quality of the materials to be used.