skauldy Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Guys, I'm after buying a bulkhead, had it repaired, the sand blasted. Went to pick it up tonight so I can drop it off for galvanising tomorrow. The blaster said he found two new holes that was filled in with isopon. They are where you can see them so I have to get them repaired. I'm starting to get sick at the bill starting to pile up as now I have to buy the panels and then pay the another guy to weld them in. My question is, is it really worth galvanising it. Would a good oxide primer do. This isn't going to be my daily and just a Saturday toy and go greenlaning every so often. I have already repaired the two top corners and the tops of the footwells where is suspect is the common places they rust, also I heard horror stories of it coming back from the galvanisers dented and in bad condition. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Could last 20+ years with a decent rust treatment and epoxy paint.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 3, 2016 Author Share Posted May 3, 2016 Any brands you would recommend Bowie. Just found that web shop frost. Having a mosie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 It may cost more to "paint" or treat than it would to get it dipped. My bulkhead cost £60 to get galvanised, However I recently spent over. £120 on zinga (cold galv) paint to refurb Er Indoors' horse trailer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I didn't galvanise now 4 years on, and I've got at least one hole appear just above the drivers foot well... sigh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Mine will definitely be going for Galv. I'm happy to deal with any distortion it (may) causes as that's less hassle in the long run than pulling the bulkhead out for repairs/swaps in 10+ years time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 To "me a "no brainer" really.. Galvanize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Brock Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 I went Galv - didn't want to have to do it all again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Looking on the frost site and the rust preventer system is coming in at 100 pounds. To dip it is 100 euro. Feck it. I'll just keep going and dip it. Just Mildly miffed off last night when I went to collect it and found it needed more work. I got home and looked at my old bulkhead and I can cut the bits I need off it so not too bad. Thanks for all the replies guys. Shane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 E-coating should give very good results, and without distortion, filling of the vent flap hinges or unfurling of the bonnet hinges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yostumpy Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 i'd galv and leave it, love the look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 I don't think anyone here in Ireland does e-coating. Too advanced for us lol. Nice when it's fresh when it weathers it'll look like an auld ifor trailer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Nice when it's fresh when it weathers it'll look like an auld ifor trailer. That's it - galv can look nice and clean for a short while, but it soon weathers and dulls, and eventually starts picking up stains and looks dreadful. My jackable sills are a little stained and will eventually be painted (for now, the sides are covered with reflective tape which looks black until a light is shone on it). My roof rack's ladder and the rear bumperettes pick up soot stains from the exhaust and it's hard to remove. It's fine for some applications, but not for bodywork. I hate the look of galv on rear cross members, too. It wasn't pretty on the body capping, but it served a purpose and looks best on Series vehicles purely because of originality's sake. Painted cappings look better on Defenders. Much more so bulkheads and 110SW B-pillars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakmaster Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 That's it - galv can look nice and clean for a short while, but it soon weathers and dulls, and eventually starts picking up stains and looks dreadful. My jackable sills are a little stained and will eventually be painted (for now, the sides are covered with reflective tape which looks black until a light is shone on it). My roof rack's ladder and the rear bumperettes pick up soot stains from the exhaust and it's hard to remove. It's fine for some applications, but not for bodywork. I hate the look of galv on rear cross members, too. It wasn't pretty on the body capping, but it served a purpose and looks best on Series vehicles purely because of originality's sake. Painted cappings look better on Defenders. Much more so bulkheads and 110SW B-pillars. Good Points - Well Made - here is another vote for galving and painting - especially of it isn't your daily driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 I had two bulkheads galvanised many years ago. They appeared to have backed a forklift into the first one, obviously destroying it, and then they dipped it. They also couldn't coat the inside of a chassis and had to redip the end of it. The second bulkhead went to a different company who missed a spot on their first try, so they did it again and dented the area between the door hinge mounts. I had no choice but to use it. The first company also lost some things. A third company somehow managed to bend something and also miss a spot. They also didn't drill a chassis and so part of it is rusty inside. I wouldn't do it again, because galvanising is an excellent method but the people who do it sometimes seem to have single-digit IQs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 That's the other thing Davo, afraid some dick is going to make carp of it and I get back something shines but don't know what it is. Did any use any bracing, like down the bottom or anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 I braced the lower mounts and welded an eye on each end of the brace so they could use these for lifting/lowering without touching the bulkhead. The floor pans buckled slightly but nothing that didn't straighten when fitted. I drilled extra holes to allow for entry /drainage when being dipped. The biggest PITA was drilling and tapping the rivnuts and clearing the brackets for the vent hinges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skauldy Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 carp I forgot about having to re tap and drill holes. Good idea about the lifting points. Will do that also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 We are thinking of getting the 2a bulkhead galved once it's been repaired, looking at using a firm called classic bulkheads anyone used them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 That's the other thing Davo, afraid some dick is going to make carp of it and I get back something shines but don't know what it is. Did any use any bracing, like down the bottom or anything I seem to remember a big bit of angle going across the bottom of the bulkhead, betwixt the mounting holes. Be aware that any bolts left in a hole will become permanent features as the galvanising just about welds them in. During one of my attempts, I'd put silicone in the door hinge bolt holes and that came out without trouble, though apparently some firms don't like it as it can cause contamination. At other times, I'd left the tapped holes empty and had to drill and tap them out later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I bought a bulkhead that had been galvanised already. There were ripples in the flat sections - not a problem above the gear box tunnel as it gets covered by trim, but it is an issue on the front sections above the wings. It took copious filling to get a presentable surface for painting. It was no surprise to need to drill out the hinges for the vent flap pins, but what did catch me out was that the bonnet hinges uncurled with the heat and had to be bent back again with a slotted bar (not easy if you spot it after fitting the wings). I wouldn't do it again - I have it blasted, sprayed with red oxide and painted, and then have vast amounts of hot cavity wax sprayed inside with the bulkhead hung at orientations to help the wax cover every surface and penetrate every seam and joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 That's a good point. I forgot to mention that bulkheads are made of overlapping sections, so it's hard to get the rust out of these anyway. I also forgot that I once rebuilt a Land-Rover for someone and did more-or-less what you've written above. I had it blasted and red oxide primed, and I also put some good-quality underseal on the outside of the footwells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Worth noting red oxide is nothing like it was.... it is pretty rubbish these days. A zinc-rich paint is far better, and weighs about 3 times as much as red oxide. Have been doing a fair bit of reading about this stuff recently, seems the important steps are: Remove all rust as practical (blast, dip, electrolysis, whatever) Repair as appropriate Bathe in phosphoric acid, or another form of rust converter or rust converter primer Finish with epoxy-based 2-pack paint. Add your top coat, cellulose, 2-pack, whatever No, it is not cheap, but then neither is galv, and is without the risks of warpage associated with galvanising. This is *one* example of the sorts of products I am on about: Primer/converter : http://www.rust.co.uk/fe-123-rust-converter/c28125/ Epoxy paint: http://www.rust.co.uk/epoxy-mastic-rust-proofing-paint/c28117/ This is similar to the stuff duncmc is using on his suspension components on the RRC, I am sure you agree it looks lovely... Obviously lots of other stuff out there, and contrary to a lot of rustbuster products it is based on proper science, and marine paint technology, where they do know a few things about rust prevention... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Yes, that's pretty much what I'd do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Guy got Galv. Galv go good. 9 years in. Go Galv it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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