I can’t imagine I could trade for one in as good a shape as mine for less than the cost of even the expensive pro paint job.
Changing colors puts a new perspective on it so I could see 1500 bucks from MAACO on this.
Underhood and door jams are a pain in the neck. Be advised that you’re going to have to scuff the paint up pretty good in those areas and it will have to be thoroughly cleaned of oil and grease residues; and this means grease residue around door latches, door hinges, etc.
If you don’t the paint will be falling off within a week.
When that truck originally rolled down the assembly line the robots had no problem painting every single spot as it was all accessible. Different story when the truck is one piece.
Just my opinion here, and I know you want red, but a green truck could be made to look pretty sharp. Some accents such as a cowl or scoop hood, fender flares, etc. with a black bed cover and some tastefully applied black accents on the hood and sides would look great. Anyhoo, your truck and good luck no matter what you do.
Red, for some reason, is the most expensive paint…Changing the color will be a nightmare. You might as well use a brush. I painted an old P/U with a brush once and from 10 feet away it looked FINE…
A long time friend of mine, now deceased, used to build a number of custom cars and did custom paint. He told me one time that red was pricier because some of the pigments used to tint the paint were not as common and therefore more expensive.
Watched a show one weekend on TV in which the bike builder Jesse James was constructing a custom bike. The paint they were using on that bike was over 4 grand a quart!
That’s utter stupidity in my opinion. If you actually put the bike on the street then oil and gas stains along with rocks will bang it up. If it’s going to be a show bike only then who cares? I doubt that anyone, even the best of pros, could look at a custom paint job and differentiate between 4000 dollar paint and 40 dollar paint.
How’s your eyesight? 
I painted my /79 Dodge p/u three years ago with a roller and it looks OK. I used house paint. If you’re looking for a cheap paint job for an old vehicle, just do a decent job on the bodywork and start painting. I sprayed the quarters on our Civic last Fall with an electric sprayer. First attempt was bad. Let it dry and then scuffed it up, sanded it a bit, then re=painted. Looks pretty nice. Do a little at a time if you’re scared. You can always sand it off and try it again. Rocketman
I went to a race track awhile back and they had 2 of the new design Grand Am(early y2k?) painted PPG orange. I heard someone practically brag that it cost them $20 grand to paint each car. They also had them customized into cabriolets(roof gone, roll bar in place, etc)
Thanks everyone for all the recommendations. They have been very helpful. I haven’t decided which way to go yet but if I try to do this myself (probably next month right after vacation) I’ll be much better prepared with your help.
I do a lot of DIY projects, but spray painting a car is too much for me. I’ve done enough spray painting to know that I won’t get good results. Too much in some places will get runoff and perhaps not enough in other spots. With the googles on and paint mists in the air I can’t see what the heck I’m doing. From 10 ft it would still look bad. Perhaps you’ll be better, but their is a steep learning curve with spraying and your first attempt is bound to be full of defects.
I suggest you go a different route. Figure out all the time and effort you are devoting to this project. It is a '94 Dakota. There are zillions of good condition mid-90’s Dakotas out there. Many are already red. Go on ebay, AutoTrader, and other sites and search the country for a really nice one. The travel time and costs to go buy it and drive home maybe less than the time you are going to spend prepping, painting, and breathing in all the nasty stuff in the air. You can sell your Dakota privately and the final costs of the whole thing may be very reasonable.
A bad paint job on your Dakota will devalue it. So, if you botch it you have to either live with it. Sell it for a big loss, or pay for a pro to do it right. There are risks here that are perhaps more than the risks of selling your current Dakota and buying a nice looking red one. At least consider this option by going onto some web sites doing a search by model, years, and color and see what’s out there and for how much.
What kind of protective equipment is normally worn in the spray booth, and is it inicluded in the rental price? Aren’t some of these modern paints quite toxic?
I wouldn’t let Maaco paint a rocking horse or a bicycle.