hey man, are u handy with a welder and a grinder?
if so u could always have a go yourself..
its what i would do anyway.. im going to paint my car down the track.. and like u said its not going to be a show car.. id just prep it up, gut it.. call around to see who would let u hire a spray booth and go to town..
if u want to paint it 2k u really need to do it in a booth - for 1 its toxic as and if its not baked it will take days to dry and by then u will have grasshoppers and sticks all in your paint.
acrylic u can paint in your back yard - but u dont get a nice gloss off the gun , needs some bufing and alot of clear coat and its not as durable ..
im sure some guys on here will know someone who will do it for cheaper then 4-5G
Joel