I know this thread is old, but thought I'd mention another consideration...

I've been working on restoring my own 1984 Olympia Cremina, thanks to a lot of help and information from Doug and Barb.

Recently, I had the case powder coated at a reputable company locally. Though the color was exactly what I wanted, the metal suffered heat damage at the 400+ temperatures for the powder coat. The exposed back panel was noticeably warped. Also, there was an "orange peel" application fault on the surface of the powder coat, and another blemish which is unacceptable. My heart sank when I went to pick up the case from the powder coater.

Fortunately, I'm able to have the case repaired at a local body shop, then re-painted using a cold process.

While I am sorely disappointed about my warped case, I'm happy that there is a solution in this one instance. Consider that cases are no longer sourced by Olympia, so my only other option would be buying another machine to scavenge parts off of.

Powder coating can be gorgeous if done well, and if you're sure no heat damage will occur. Body shops should be able to achieve the same aesthetic characteristics. Just food for thought...