<p>"…putting it on, painting it, and blending the paint was another $650ish."</p>
<p>The key words are "putting on"and “painting” - that’s the cost of <em>labor</em>, not paint itself. Paint, as I said, is dirt cheap. There is no special blending or matching needed even for older cars - the paint is mixed according to the instructions per manufacturer’s code (all you need is to check the sticker on the inside of the driver’s side door for that number), just like the guys at the HD can mix you any of the RL, Disney or their own brand paints.</p>