The first mistake was someone else wrenching on your car.
I had the same issue with mine, and it took very light sanding on the mushroom bit, tapping the threads, and it was good to go.
Maybe the mechanic was trying to milk you?
Check out my Delta thread in the 100s section.
As far as powder coating goes, it is a two-stage coat with a zinc primer and is insanely durable.
I have smashed the rear on some rocks and the powder coat has not worn through completely in the areas I struck...
Definitely interested! I bought something similar on eBay and it stopped working after about a a year. Now I can’t get it back into programming mode. My ‘03 LX has keyless entry with an internal cut key. Would the flip keys include buttons for keyless entry or would you need the remotes...