Actually my friend put in about 250 hours. I was trying to go easy on guys! He did it as a favor to me and because he loves painting cars. He also took nearly two years to complete it, so there was a trade off. As a matter of fact he still hasn't painted the bonnet lid, the scuttle vents and the headlight rims. I was in no hurry because the engine was a long way off. But now I've asked to have the stuff done before the end of summer. Hope he comes through. When you do what I did you're at the mercy of your friends timeline. But considering I didn't have much $$ when I started this project it was the best way for me to go. I don't know if $6500 will buy the level of color sanding I got (you could shave in the reflection)or the bodywork and welding I required, but my paint job probably isn't "incredible," just decent, I'm biased. I've never gone to a shop for paint and bodywork, so I only speak from secondhand knowledge. Sorry, wasn't trying to make anybody feel bad.
Christopher