Painting dilemma (long). What would you do?

I have a '72 Dart that is getting ready for paint and can't decide whether (or how) to DIY. The background:

I bought the shell stripped and in a couple different colors of primer. My first attempt at paint was a disaster, as the cheap spray gun was "splattering" and the paint was highly textured, not to mention curtain runs, dirt, you name it, any novice mistake possible. So I walked away from it for a while!

I sanded down the disaster (not smooth enough as it turned out), and tried again with a decent Devilbiss gun and a darker paint. This coat came out better, but the flaws from the first coat were highly visible and there were many pinholes. Pretty sure it was water droplets from an insufficiently dry airline and a humid day. Again, walk away in disgust.

This winter I finally got back to it, having completed the remainder of the car including cam break-in. I DA'ed then hand-sanded the entire car AGAIN with 220 then 400, spent numerous hours fixing dings with glazing putty, a door dent which I repaired with a stud welder/slide hammer and a little filler, and spray can primer/surfacer filling all the areas of pinholes and sanding THOSE areas. All that sanding gave me a rotator cuff tendinitis so my sanding's pretty much done for the spring.

I got a couple of local painters, one who did the top half of a car for me after I sanded the original failed clearcoat/paint, to look at the job. The first guy only has a small shop and didn't want to do a whole exterior (and underhood/under trunk lid) at all, because his bread & butter was small repairs for used-car dealers. Understandable.

Another young local guy just quoted me $3000 for labor only, which included removing the hood, trunk, doors & fenders, spraying the sheet metal back seat firewall, and underside of hood and trunk lids. I am going to leave the trunk and lower engine compartment alone. He claims extensive filler, block sand, sealer, etc. is needed on the exterior. Frankly I can't even feel the curve in the left rear quarter area he says needs leveling, let alone see it. He showed me a $1300 (labor and paint) scuff & spray black Firebird that the owner insisted on... looks like crap with all the dings, and I can see "blotches" in the passenger door in bright sunlight. He says my car would look even more uneven if he just painted it with basecoat/clearcoat. And now he's waffling, claiming everyone's telling him not to do my car and that I will be too hard to please!! Going to look at a similar job he did on a Jeep for $3500 recently.

So I may end up having to DIY. I am gradually figuring out the things I did wrong. First is to build a paint booth inside the barn from 2x4's, plastic sheeting, box fans, furnace filters and LOTS of light. Next is to get a better water trap and a desiccant snake. Finally I have a spare door I can practice on... if my shoulder holds up. I'm also due for wrist surgery probably in April (carpal tunnel caused by a chronic sprain). Getting old sucks but it beats the alternative!

I can't decide whether to continue learning how to paint as described above, or keep looking for a painter who will do a good job at a reasonable price. I think 3k labor is a lot of money since it's not a show restoration by any means. He thinks it's cheap. Any thoughts?