Why zinc matters
Corrosion is one of the biggest problems for classic cars, and bolts, brackets, clips and hinges are often the first parts to go.
What is rust?
Rust is the general term for the red iron oxides that form when iron reacts with oxygen in the presence of water or humidity. Given time, oxygen and water turn any iron object into rust until it falls apart.
Unlike the patina that forms on copper and protects the metal, rust gives no protection to iron or to iron alloys such as steel.
What is zinc?
Zinc is a bluish-white metal used to protect iron and steel from corrosion: it corrodes first, so the steel underneath doesn't. Steel parts can be zinc-coated in several ways:
- Hot-dip galvanising (dipping in molten zinc)
- Electroplating (the method we use)
- Thermal spraying
Our process
Every part is first cleaned back to bare steel. Old plating, paint and rust come off through degreasing, blasting and pickling, because zinc only bonds properly to clean metal.
The parts then go into a zinc electrolyte bath, where an electric current deposits an even layer of zinc over the whole part. The layer is thin, so threads still turn and brackets still fit.
Plated parts go straight back into the restoration.