Antonio951

I did a search on this but didnt get a answer to my question. I know our cars are galvanized. I am getting ready for a paint job and the car will be sanded down and then painted. Now to my question, what do they do at the factory when they galvanize the car? Do they dip the body in some kind of fluids? Do they spray it? I guess im wondering if the car gets sanded down, will it take away the protective galvanization? If anyone know what the procedure is when they galvanize the body please let me know. Thanks.

hoffman912

i believe it is zinc, but i dont think its really coated though, like a sprayu on coating, i think the zinc is bonded to the aluminum through out.

sanding it shouldnt hurt it.

Jon Moeller

Not my specialty, but to answer some of the questions, if the car is taken down to metal, the coating will be removed. If the painter just roughs up the existing paint, you're safe.

I believe the coating is actually a zinc treatment, and the body shop, if they're good, should be able to replicate this to the factory standards.

-J

Tom R.

Id I rember what I read when Porsche first started the process, the body is dipped in a solution, and an electric charge is put through the solution so the rust inhibitor bonds. I would ask my co worker to ask her brother (he invented the process for Braun or Krups and they sold it to Porsche) for the details but i think he died a year or so ago.

Paint is a rust inhibitor too.

By the time the car would rust through you will have gone through another three or four cars. Dont worry.

billybones

Ussually you just sand down the cars original paint to smooth out chips and break down the years of waxing and what not.. If your going down to bare metal. sanding is very tedious creates heat and metal warp. If going to bare metal I would use an appropriate paint stripper. It is easier.

Hans

It is zinc, electrolitically applied as described above by Tom.
Layer thickness: a few microns.
Sanding down completely is a mistake, dont do that.
The paint stripper is not (normally) removing the zinc layer.

Repair is possible via "cold zinc", in a wide variety of brands.
It comes in spray cans and every body shop should know about it. (dont use the ones that dont...)
You cant copy the original process, neither can the average body shop.
TakeCare

Antonio951

Thanks alot for all the info, he is not going to totaly strip it down to the metal.

Tom R.

if he isnt going to strip it down to the metal, and he isnt a very good (doesnt have to be excellent, just very good) bodyman the new paint will have a thick look to it.

some people dont mind it, for me it is one of my pet peeves that pushes me to used cars that never had any paintwork. i prefer some chips and swirl marks to evidence of an enamel repaint.

Antonio951

hes really good, i have seen some of his work, he mainly does restoration and insurance work. Ill post some pics when its done.

Tom R.

i take your word for it that he is really good. not to bust your nuts but, ive seen butchers do "restoration" work. I could have had my firebird "restored" for anywhere from 2000 to 15000 when i did the body work in 85. the 2000 guy was telling me anything more was a waste of $$$. the insurance job he was doing was great work, if you didnt mind a little bondo wave and mismatched paint. insurance work, well thats the bread and butter of any shop, and insurance standards are about as low as they can go.

Antonio951

he is my brother-in-law and i trust his work and as i said, i have seen his work and he does a great job AND he gave me a great price. I work at a dealer and for what i wanted done it was going to cost a little over 3500 and he is going to do it for more then half as much.