I work at a Body Shop. First off, do NOT take it to either Maaco or Earl Sheib. I agree with everybody else, if you can, do ALL the prep work yourself. It isn't that bad. That's pretty much all I do, prep work. Just take some 320 grit on a DA Sander (which you can probably get pretty cheap from a Paint Shop) and sand down the car. You DON'T have to go ALL the way down to the bare Paint OR metal. A lot of people think you HAVE to go down to bare metal...you don't. If you're going to buy your own paint...and are planning on going with the same Milano Red, be prepared to spend some big bucks on the paint. Any red is going to run you about $100-200 more than any other paint per Gallon. Also..masking a car isn't that bad either. Take some 3/4" tape and outline ALL your mouldings, weatherstriping and odds & ends that you don't want painted. It might be frustrating, but it's worth it. If you're going to spray it yourself, be sure to take your time. On each coat, keep the spray gun 4-6 inches away from the car and spray evenly. Don't try to cover the whole car in 1 coat. It takes several coats for the color to cover. Spraying clear is a lot different b/c of the texture. It's a lot easier to run. So be patient...and Good Luck. Show pics when you get it finished.