I went to the Goodguys show in FTW last month specifically so I could spend some time with the PPG paint reps since I am getting close to that point on my truck. They really aren't recommending etching primer any more. Epoxy primer is a "direct to metal" primer. For the best quality paint job, the vehicle should be stripped to bare metal and immediately primed with epoxy primer, then body work can be done over the top of the epoxy. After that you use the high build primer which is also "direct to metal". No need to cover what was sanded with more epoxy.
