It depends on how much your car is worth and the type of quality that you expect from the paint job. If you have an old vehicle that is not worth much, then it does not make sense to pay for a showroom quality paint job on it. However, if the paint on that same vehicle is in bad shape, then it might make sense to spend $500 on a basic paint job for it. It really depends on the vehicle and your financial situation. Given the current scrap car prices, you might decide to paint that old clunker and keep driving it a little longer.