chassis restoration

[flimsyboat]

Hi Guys i was looking to have my chassis stripped of all under-seal etc, welded/repaired where needed and then re-painted/galvanized.
Does anyone know of anywhere that would offer this service in the Peterborough area?
Many thanks
Rob

[Mark Hammond]

Don't galvanise.  It will weaken the integrity of the steel.  Waxoyl once chemically dipped/blasted/painted.

Just my view.

Mark

[Scimher]

Are you referring specifically to the 'small chassis' Triumph not taking well to galvanising, Mark...??

[Mark Hammond]

Yes.  My Herald was restored on a NOS chassis by Chic Doig and I too enquired about galvanising.  He reckoned it made the steel brittle in the scenario of impact.  Exactly how or why, I don't know but he has had experience of it.

Mark

[piman]

Hello Mark,

I think that is a myth, mild steel is not affected by heat, at least in terms of ductility.  There have been cases of items distorting when being galvanized but I think that is due to how they were supported in the zinc tank. Reliant galvanized all their chassis for some years.

Alec

[CRAJ]

Must be a myth. A good friend of mine owns a company that manufactures Land Rover chassis, they are all galvanised afterwards as are specials that they build for off road competition, winch challenges etc. They never have any back and have been making them for a good few years.

[bxbodger]

All 2CV replacement chassis are galvanised too, and don't forget many modern cars are part galvanised. The temperature shouldn't affect it at all- Galvanising temperatures are much much lower than those involved in welding the chassis together.

Years ago when I worked for a now long-defunct shutter company I used to regularly visit the galvanisers, it was like a journey into hell!

[dave mc]

Or you can cold galvanise like I did.

Got the chassis back to bare metal then two brush coats of galvafroid paint before putting final colour on. It's not cheap though!!

[herald948]

I have heard over the years that galvanizing can add LOTS of weight to the chassis. Fact or myth? Seems that a typical "SC" Triumph does not need to have any weight added to it.  ;D

[piman]

Hello Andy,

i's a very thin coat, as long as any enclosed areas are drilled correctly to allow excess zinc to drain away. Pricing is done on a basis of a before and after weight of the item. Ask a galvanizer and he should be able to give a ball park figure of percentage increase in weight.

Alec

[Nick Moore]

My Herald's chassis was galvanised and despite my drilling holes for the heated air and excess zinc to escape, did end up heavier. It didn't seem to deform either. That was about 15 years ago, cost me about $100 and it hasn't started rusting yet. Money well spent I thnk.

[Scimher]

The thing about galvanising is that, hopefully, it stops the chassis rusting from the inside out. The only comparable alternative is to have the car's chassis  professionally rustproofed using lances & then fibre-optic analysis to make sure that every 'nook & cranny' of the inside of the sections has been coated...(which will cost a helluva lot more...)
If the vehicle is being re-built from the 'bare bones' of a completely stripped chassis, then it's got to be a 'no-brainer'............  

[oil_on_the_carpet]

Galvanising causes issues if you have to weld the chassis afterwards.

If the chassis has been plated and repaired, there is an increase risk of distortion.

You will need to get the chassis passivated to get paint to stick to the zinc.