[super vw]

I work in a restoration/motorsports shop and i gotta say that finding GOOD painters is HARD! you do not ALWAYS get what you pay for to, and from first had experience, referals are not always good aswell.
I think the only way to shop for a good painter is to go to the shop and TOTALY scope it out, from the facilities, materials they use, how pro they run the place. then look at their work and ask people who have dealed with them.

we have had cars with $6,000 paint jobs look like $900 paint jobs by painters that lots of people recomend. it's stupid.

it's also hard to find some one who will do a complete (not just insurance work... at least here)

I really dont like painters!

for me, the good old saying "you want it done right, do it yourself" is the way to go. I am going to paint my own car (so it gets done to my satifaction).

From friends who have painted their own show cars (all beetles and busses), they said they had about $1000-1500 in materials alone, not counting tools. this is with good qulity products (ppg paint...ect). it could be cheaper depending on what you want and what you use.