Auto Body Painting in NE Ohio (to rent, how much, college)

[llowllevellowll]

(Read thoroughly if interested - multiple questions herein)

Hello all,

I have a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant which I take care of extremely well. I am also, however, a college student and find the cost of auto-paint in the area to be extremely overpriced to the point of lunacy. Has anyone in the area had the displeasure of having to have their car painted? Where did you go and how much did it set you back? Any reccomendations?

If not, I have been taking a few courses and training in painting it myself. I am willing to strip and prep the car myself (I do most of my own repairs and fixes) but am without the proper garage in order to spray with enough room or without dust...

So does anyone know of someone who owns a spray bay that would be willing to rent it out for a few days?

OR

If anyone has sprayed cars themselves or knows a friend skilled in the art and are in need of extra cash, feel free to contact.

Thanks,
Josh


P.S. No Maaco references (unless you've used them and have a positive experience)

[airics]

actually maaco in akron on waterloo does a decent job ( i own a dealership and send cars there).. most people that are unhappy are the ones that have done the stripping and prepping themselves (sorry).. you should also know that the paint job exceeds the value of your vehicle and you are unlikely to recover the cost.. if it wasnt for the cost of materials increasing like the cost of fuel, more people would be getting vehicles painted... what color is your car.. that has a huge impact on price..

[llowllevellowll]

it's jet black. I don't have any photos on here, but I'm willing to try a different color in an effort to save money if that's possible.

I gave them a call and they said that for each piece that they have to strip it would be 99$ -- really the only thing that needs stripped is my hood, trunk, and roof and the clear coat is starting to peel around the door frames.

How much do they charge for the majority of the cars you send in to them?

[airics]

around 4-500. color change is additional and makes your car worthless.. the reason i asked what color, is that mitsubishi has a pearl white... almost $1000 to paint even at maaco... reds are high also... your car should cost around 400 if you do the prep work.