i did a comparison of labor rates a while back. when i got to 54.00 an hr for lawnmower repairs i stopped. paint and body is hard work and takes a terrible toll on your body. running an air file 8 hrs a day does wonders for arthritis. 30k? not around here. a quality job is 6500. simple repaint at about 3900. these rates are paid by insurance companies so they must not be too far out of line. bottom line is would you want a 3k paint job on a 40k car?at the same time there are folks that just caint afford that kind of money and will compromise on quality a little. it's called giving back a little. i've shot cars for people who did their prep and will do their buffing. with the cost of materials today it's tuff to stay on top of it.