I guess you live out in the country.. That means you are limited for choice.

I think $5000+ for a paintjob is a bit expensive, unless you are really looking for a 'grade A' bare metal job.

Dents not taken out properly ? Sounds like an excuse to rip you off a second time. Ever watched an episode of pimp my ride? Bog/Bondo is their best friend.

The first bloke closed down because he used incompetant labour...and the second guy knows you are desperate to get the car finished.

If there is paint flaking off underneath the primer..the first guy ripped you off. He's not in business anymore so you can't whinge too much about that.

It may be cheaper for you to spend $5000 on a low milage coupe, that still has good factory paint. I keep seeing them around for sale. I've done a couple of rebuild, and I now recognize that the smart people buy a really straight and original car to start with. That can halve the project costs.