hahaha, well, lets see, i have $13,000 in it, and i tried to sell it, ebay even, max offer of $4,000. Soooo. I kinda think the dents and paint are sorta necessary to get my money outta it.
of course, most "non-enthusiasts" are after the flash of the car.....thats the way the world works.....so unless you find some car nut who just really wants that year, model etc.... no matter how it looks and who would buy it, as is, for a good price.........i say get it painted and good luck trying to get rid of it....