Self Etching primer... Good or Bad?
Sorry to hear about the flake, that's why I do my own work.
I've been using self etching primer for YEARS and never had a problem.
Don't let the "sky is falling" guys make you nervous. Get the car to bare metal, clean it, and shoot the primer on.
Good Luck.
George
Pretty much the jest of it. Everything else is an option.
Etching can be done mechanically: sanding with 220, or a paint stripping wheel on a grinder.
Or chemically: self etching primer, epoxy primer, etc. same thing.
Your just getting the surface ready for the paint to stick to. Either way is a safety net and borderline overkill because part of the primers job is to increase adhesion anyway, the other part of primer is to even out small imperfections in your metal, think of it like filler, only for less than 1/16" applications.
Don't fall for the denatured hoopla either, that 2$ bottle of 70% percent isopropyl alcohol to clean and hit with a tack cloth right after works great just before primer, and in between coats.
Have fun, and enjoy yourself.. It sounds like its been a stressful enough job already.
Something I'd like to add if your doing any fabrication/metal working:
The Rustoleum BBQ flat black high heat paint works great as a option for weld-thru primer so you don't have to worry about rust between your plug welds.. Seems a little more durable than the regular zinc based that seems to flake off.