Here's my 2 cents:

Most shops specialise in insurance jobs. Getting a quote to get work done can often be expensive, perhaps more expensive than if you took it to a shop which deals mainly with private work. An example would be when I took my car to Crows Nest Smash, they quoted me $5000 for the spray work alone, not including removing the spoiler and painting the body kit. RS Performance at Moorebank quoted me just over $2200, for everything. Big difference, yes?

The old adage 'you get what you pay for' is true to an extent. But you must keep in mind that like in other industries, some places charge more just because they can. In my experience, going out to Liverpool the prices were cheaper generally, where on the North Shore they were at a premium considering all the rich krunts there.

Firstly, look for a place which actually says hi to you and asks if they can help you. I went to numerous shops where I had to wait 5 or 10 minutes, then ask for help, then have some grumpy mofo come out and give me a rip off quote. Jetspeed is one example that comes to mind...

Definitely go to a place which has an ABN. There is one pretty popular shop which doesn't, and although the paint work may be good, think of the legal repercussions if something goes wrong...like your car gets stolen!

Which brings me to another point: go to a place where they store your car inside at night, and they have a professional spray booth. Ask what paints they use, how many coats of clear and primer they use, what sort of prep they do. Most importantly, if you decide to go with them, drop in frequently (unannounced) and check on progress. Each time I did I was pleasantly surprised that no corners were being cut.

Also, without paying $10000+, don't expect absolute perfection. Spray painting by humans is almost impossible to get 100% perfect like machines can. That being said, there shouldn't be any drips, sinking areas, dents etc. However, even in a professional spray booth, there can be tiny amounts of dust so don't be too cut if one speck or so ends up in your paint.

Avoid candy colours. They're shit. Avoid any shade of black too. Painters hate it, it's very hard to keep clean, and swirl marks are there from the first day you own it. After owning a jet black car, I won't ever buy that colour again.

Avoid candy colours. They're shit.

Why are they shit? Maybe if not done by experienced perfectionist etc will be shit. But done by a real pro in the field, not some 'wannabehektikcuntoftheyear' shop, you get a killer job done, but again, it aint cheap to do it 100% right.

I plan on keeping the car till the end of my days, so I want it done perfect.