Re: Powder coating vs. conventional paint.
Powder coating requires heating (as you probably know), so it's a two step process. One disadvantage of powder coating it that if rust gets under it (chip or whatever), it can grow under the coating and it will peel off in sheets. Conventional paint (epoxy primer, filler primer and topcoat) can be repaired more easily than powder coating. Conventional paint system gives you a chance to correct small defects in the surface before you topcoat. I'm not sure that powder coating could even be applied on a part that has a little filler on it. I wouldn't recommend powder coating on body panels.
re: Rattle cans
Most have less than optimal spray pattern versus an air powered paint gun (even the cheapest Harbor Freight gun) and what happens when the can runs out of propellant 1/2 way thru a panel and you have to go buy another one. And when a rattle can starts to lose pressure, they'll start spitting big globs of paint instead of a nicely atomized spray. Rattle cans are fine for small items I have used them for various parts, like the brackets for my oil filter mounting, the oil filter canister itself and for touch up of spots on the frame, which I sprayed with epoxy primer and Rustoleum Industrial Enamel in quart cans.
I bought a 3M Accuspray paint gun with disposable nozzles and paint cups, which make gun cleanup very easy. A gun and starter kit is available on
AMAZON It was just over $200 when I bought mine.
It does a good job.
