I would pick one with original paint. Even if it looks bad. New paint can hide a lot of stuff. If you were to buy a plane with old and faded paint it tells you two things. First it has not been in an accident. And second, whoever owned it put more priority on the engine and radio stack.
A lot of stuff can happen to a plane that does not make it into the logbooks. New paint can be a sign of hidden sins. Even if there is no hidden damage some people care more about how a plane looks rather then its mechanical soundness. You can't fake faded origional paint. To me it is a good sign. Also you can use it to negotiate a lower price due to the condition of the old paint.
My plane has old paint and I love it.
Do a pre-buy and have a professional title search (insurance) done. It can be difficult to find airplane liens. You don't want a bank to pop out of the blue demanding money.
Oh yea, I would like to make a plug for the Cessna 150/152. They really are a great plane that can do almost everything that a 172 can do at a third the price. Most of the time pilots fly alone or with one other person anyway.
Fuel is not cheap. It is easy to get into a big plane right now that would break the bank every time you want to do touch and goes. Parts are easy to find. Insurance is way cheaper. You can get an autogas STC.
Why not start out with a 150 and move up later? Cheap, safe, fun, guilt free flying.
Skyhigh