steel body shell cleaning/plating

[ugly_90]

I have a bare steel truck cab i'm planning to restore this year. I notice in one of the classic car mags from the UK, a company called SPL (www.surfaceprocessing.co.uk) will clean, strip, dip, zinc phosphate and prime entire steel bodyshells.

Their process looks good. Here in Alberta, I don't know of a company that can do a simmilar process affordably. I could send it to a bodyshop with a massive bill, never knowing where it ended up. That is a no-go.

I could alternately have it blasted, only acid dipped, and returned to me with flash surface rusting, which would lead to yet more work again. Having it dip galvanized could likely warp something.

Some of the spots around Edmonton seem to have smaller tanks for smaller orders. Where would I take this as a steel item to have a similar process done as SPL does, but on a budget?

[Trevor]

That shouldn't be too difficult to find in Edmonton. With our oil industry cleaning and prepping metal of all sizes and shape is not uncommon...I guess it comes down in part to what you consider "affordable". Looking at the link you provided as a reference I would expect them to be quite pricey based on what they offer...in the many thousands of dollars range to do a complete package. Did you get pricing from them? 

Industrial sand blasters charge around $85/hr and up here. You'd want to give it a dip first, and that will depend on the metal. Is this a LR project...i.e. an aluminum body? If not a caustic bath to clean up the metal may well be available from the same place you send parts to be galvanized. Or alternatively they may point you in the right direction.

The other more applicable option would be to contact an autobody shop and see what they will charge. There's no shortage of them, and any specializing in classic car rebulds will do a lot of this sort of thing. Or chat with Bert at Sportcar Center and see what he can offer, or direction he can point you in. I would suspect he'd be your best bet for info.

[Red90]

The popular thing these days is dustless blasting for body work.  They use water as the main carry fluid.  It prevents heat warpage on the panels. I think they include chemicals in the water to prevent rusting.  Many companies around.  Best to ask directly their experience and cost.

[ugly_90]

That doesn't seem to be the same process at all. On a body shell, the hardest areas to clean and perhaps plate are behind the bends of the steel, often an originally unpainted surface. I'll see what I can find.

[Red90]

If you are talking off electroplating, it won't work on hidden areas.

You link is simple chemical dipping, high temperature baking (might as well hot dip galvanize instead), poorly and incorrectly labelled as pyrolysis, media blasting and US cleaning.  There is no plating mentioned there.

Should be no problem finding places to do all of the above, but it will be expensive.

You have not really said what you are doing.  A lot of car bodys, even old ones are held together with sealant.  Hot processes and chemically can have them fall apart.

[Matt H]

If you are using the vehicle in Alberta I wouldn't get too carried away with rustproofing. I've had bare steel body shells sitting in the weeds for ten years without significant rust damage.

My 2c.