Going through the same thing with my car. Don't paint it, it's not worth it. Even if you completely strip and paint the car, which properly done will be closer to the $5,000, that doesn't guarantee rust will not come back. Is it worth this much money for 3-5 years of rust-free paint? Again, I'm going through the same thing with my Protege5 and I have decided it isn't worth it. I'm going to do the best I can with aftermarket stripping/painting products, which I can do myself for about $50, which will make it look a lot better than it is now. If you think about the rust issue, you can really only treat the surface rust. Underneath, your vehicle is still 7 years old and has collected rust elsewhere that you can't correct. Save the money for the inevitable mechanical reparis, do the paint work the best you can independently. That's my 2 Cents.
