anyone know the order of events? was the coupler and shaft assembled then painted...meaning that the retainer was also painted? trying to figure out why they sell stainless steel retainers. my original thought had been that they sell them cause the retainer was left natural and thus the stainless steel would be a more durable option long term. i also though the shaft was natural as well so my instincts are not always right.

also is whole visable length of the shaft painted? on the e-body stuff i read it seemed that it was just a variable length such as the lowest 10 inches or so fading to an overspray.

Thanks