I don't think some people realize just how much labor us schmucks are willing to do ourselves
MIG wire, some sheet metal, abrasive products, primer ..... a few hundred bucks and lots of labor and you've done something that another guy would have paid $5K for. No we don't count our hourly labor, I don't pay myself for watching TV either, no we don't count the equipment expense that we'd have in the shop anyway like compressors and such, no we don't count the power since I'd be in the shop fixing a toaster or something anyway
I'll have about $15K in my 68 GTO when I'm done, including paint (not show paint), that includes about $4K for the engine (done myself), half new Legendary interior, only "new" sheet metal is the repop core support, tranny rebuild myself, same with all the mechanicals. Bought the car for $1100 in 1976 and drove it for five years or more.
All said and done driving down the road, including original purchase price ... ehhh, about $20K I guess if I count sandpaper and supplies
Big difference paying other people to do the work compared to doing it yourself, and the majority of the time YOU will do a better job on your car than someone else will.