Good evening, and may I ask for some thoughts from the assembled expertise on the subject of hot dip galvanising small items.
I am in the throes of restoring a 1963 Series 2a Land Rover, and would very much like to re-galvanise the body cappings. I'm planning to repaint the original aluminium panels and it's going to look really naff with new paint alongside 60 year old dissolved and rusting galvanising if I don't do something to give the body cappings a face lift. I could paint them, but that's a cop-out!
I hear all sorts of horror stories about small items getting lost in the bottom of the zinc bath, never to be seen again. Or getting bashed about by girt big heavy stuff and coming out unusable.
In terms of actual dimensions, one of the largest items would be the spare wheel carrier off the bonnet – say 12 inches diameter by 2 inches deep. Otherwise the body cappings are typically a 3 inch cube, and the rear body rails are say 1 inch angle section by 4 feet long,
Does anyone have any experience of having small light weight stuff hot dip galvanised and maybe a recommendation for a "responsible" galvanisers? I'm in Gloucestershire but distance wouldn't be a problem if I could find a reliable solution.
Suggestions please.
One last comment – no, electroplating just isn't going to be suitable.
With many thanks in anticipation as always.
Simon