Just being the devils advocate here,,,, on the E-coat deal. We routinely get factory panels with E-coat that has runs, DA scratches, or other imperfections that requires sanding through the E-coat to the bare metal. There goes the E-coat. We put an epoxy etch primer on the panel and move on. I have never had a problem with a come back over that procedure and wonder if the E-coat thing may be overhyped ? On the OEM over the aftermarket refinish, I always believed that the aftermarket was superior due to the fact that we can still use products that the factories can't any more. I have seen finishes we have done over 20 years ago still holding up quite well,,, something that a 20 year old OEM finish can very rarely say. I always heard that the plain chemical linking was as good as the baked linking, as the baking just tended to hurry the process. This is in no means a rebuke, just what I was taught.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K