When installing fasteners on powder coated items I notice that the powder coating can crack and peel off at the fastener contact. Would it not be better to prep the metal with sand blasting etc. as with powder coating and spray a good etching primer or galvanizing primer and then top coat. When installing fasteners on this application there is not as much damage to the surrounding area. just MHO

Tony - It shouldn't crack or peel. Peeling is poor surface prep or maybe the oven was the wrong temp, cracking may be too thick an application. The part should be coated with a fastener or plug in the part so no powder gets on the threads. Sometimes parts are blasted and then bare for days or weeks before coating. Fine in dry climates but on the east coast, it's not good. But bottom line, it should stay put unless you cut or grind it off.

It's fine to blast, prime and paint. Shawn at True6 uses a lot of cerikote because its a very tough and durable finish but is so thin, it doesn't usually need any plugs on the threads, similar to plating.

I really liked powder coat when I worked at the shop because I could use the part a couple minutes after removing from the oven and the finish is super tough but there are other options that work well.

I powder coat my parts, but I pay my guy extra to plug all the threaded holes.
If they were not plugged it's best to run a tap through all the holes.

For me PC is a no brainer, I drop the rusty parts off, they call me 1-2 weeks later and I go pick up the shiny parts.

Never had this issue as its simply too expensive in my small town ,local place charges the earth because they are geared to large runs of alloy powdercoating for window frames which they do in bulk.
It has great benefit on suspension parts as its tough and resists stone damage,my under car bits have held up well using "old fashion" enamel and was done a long time ago .

I prefer PC for any part that will be exposed to road grime and sand blasting, high heat, brake fluid, or other extreme wear. IMO the biggest downside is that the metal surface must be worked smooth, since no filler is allowed.

So far, I have not had any trouble with PC cracking or peeling, unless I bend something extremely.

You have to do all welding repairs, straightening of your tin, the surround edges, wire tabs and valve covers, etc., before sending your parts out. Any sketchy rust areas will likely come out as swiss cheese holes, so make sure you have good steel beneath that rust.
Last year I did 6 Djets worth of engine tin in one go, huge job just to do all this prep work before PC.

Black ZeroRust paint in aerosol cans wears like iron. A little spendy for paint, but still cheaper than PC.

I bought a powder coating gun from Harbor Freight and a used smoker from craigslist. I setup a cardboard box as a spray booth. Easy as Pie. The best thing about doing your own powdercoating is that it takes no time. I media blast my parts, pre-heat in the smoker, hang the parts off of a rack, spray, cook and once they are cool you can install them.

Totally agree and almost easier than packing everything up and sending out to PC.

Same thing, except at first used the largest toaster oven available at Goodwill ($8), then started using a free electric oven we got when someone converted to a gas oven in their kitchen. Use outside of garage due to toxic fumes from powdercoating.