For the average person, most will not tackle a paint problem like this as a DIY. I painted my first car by saying, "Hey, I can figure out how to do this!" Within months I was painting cars for everybody else and didn't have time to work on my own.

I am also right on one other point. Unless you tackle part of this job yourself, the quotes you get from professional body shops (nobody's home garage please for the sake of this point>) will definitely be in the range I mentioned.

I heartily endorse tackling removal and sanding of the clearcoat if you have the courage and stamina, but most people won't.

But, let's get back to the real issue here. This car is a color that was once called delphin grey metallic. The paint is said to be fading on the top surfaces.

In your estimation, based on that statement, would you guess that the paint is really fading, or would you say this car is a candidate for clear coat failure?

I don't disagree with you on the solution, or the preference.