Morris Minor Owners Club

Evening All,

After a little advice.

The chassis on my Pick-up project will soon ( ) be ready for paint.

It may be that this will become my everyday car and so I need to paint the chassis to last.
I was considering getting it galvanised but this seems to create more problems than it solves.
So what primer would you peeps recommend for a chassis? Etch, followed by zinc-rich primer? I've had a look on the Bay and that has confused the heck out of me.....
I will drench the inside cavitys with rust treatment when the outside is done.
Thanks in advance.
Martin

If I had the cash Id go for Galv, despite the issues. There's no perfect solution but if the chassis tubes are open then Galv should work. A good waxoil type protection inside the tubes will have a very good effect but it's worth doing it a few times in the first few years to ensure a complete coating.

One of the issues with zinc rich primer is getting them to stick well. You can get really good stuff as used on offshore equipment (e.g. oil rigs ) but many of those require an excellent mechanical key (grit blasting to provide the key) so is not usefull on flat steel panels and tubing.
The etch primer will (should) chemically bond to the metal without needing a key so one thing that may be worth checking into is a zinc etch primer.
Topcoats - My personal preference is to avoid any thick coatings under a car as they can just mask problems developing underneath. A top coat with reasonable mechanical strength is what you need to find but I'm no expert on that!

You really can't beat galvanising - what are the 'drawbacks' ?? Anything else will be a poor second - although they now have some special paint for the Forth Rail Bridge which is supposedly very long lasting and very protecting..........

I think that the heat used to keep galv liquid can distort the chassis if it is not supported properly during and after dipping

Yes, and the Minor chassis being for a small car is not of a particularly thick gauge so may be susceptible to heat distortion.

I have found that zinc rich primer does work well enough provided:-

1) metal is clean and keyed- I thoroughly go over the surface with a wire brush on grinder. This seems to give a good enough key.
2) Decent zinc rich primer is used- buy from your local paint factors.
3) The primer is protected with a top coat. I use a couple of coats of chassis black paint over the zinc primer, and then in high impact areas (wheelarches etc) a few coats of anti stone chip paint , with a final coat of chassis black or body colour over this.
4) any seams/ welds are seam sealed before top coat
5) finally, apply a coat of clear underbody wax.