C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

[Greg T.]

Has anyone had any experience acid dipping and galvanizing a birdcage?
My 66 bird cage is solid but there is rust inside the boxed sections and in the joints. I have read about lots of ways to treat the rust but the best way to me seems to have it removed with an acid dip and have it galvanized. The galvanization consists of dipping the clean frame at 900 degrees into molten zinc. The zinc will bond to the steel on the molecular level. Seems to be a good way to preserve the heart of your vette body. This one has lasted 40 years but the rust will eventually destroy it if not treated effectively. Any thoughts?

[Geoff C.]

Should be very easy to dip the bird cage

in hot molten Zinc once you have managed to remove all the bonding strips and other glass. Nothing is impossible, but this may come close. Let us know how like this takes.

Geoffrey Coenen

[mike cobine]

Re: C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

Where are you going to find a hot zinc galvanize tank that big? Most of the steel mills have closed up.

Make sure you have the Trim and VIN plates off. I used to work around a pickling tank that was used to clean before you begin the hot dip process. Nasty stuff.

[Joe L.]

Re: C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

Greg------

Waht you describe is a PERFECT method for protecting and preserving the "birdcage" of any 63-82 Corvette. This method is only applicable, though, if your intention is to preserve the "birdcage" and then store or display it without the rest of the car.

When you begin the process to strip away all of the car that's attached to the "bircage" (in order to dip the birdcage alone), that will be the last time that this car will be "a complete unit".

[Charles M.]

Re: C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

Greg

My windshield frame is gone from 6 inches above the bottom curve, across the width, to the hats atop the hinge pillars. If you grabbed the top of the windshield you could pull and snap it off. I found a donor cage in excellant condition and wanted to go the extra mile for longevity so I took the piece to a place that dips in a non-caustic solution rather than acid to first strip and then de-rust supposedly without removing any good metal. They will also primer/paint after cleaning if wanted. It has been 8 weeks, they are really backed up with work, I may have the cage back by this Monday. When I get it I'll post some AFTER pictures along with the before shots already viewable at www.pbase.com/valrico4 . Before it goes to the body man to be implanted I intend to treat the inside channels you mentioned (that are now bare) with something, don't know yet what I'll use. A 65 owner two counties from me used the same service 2 years ago for his entire frame and "A" arms and he was very satisfied. Keep an eye out for my future posts.

Chuck

[Bob Simard]

Re: C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

Valmont Industries in Valley Nebraska (close to Omaha) manufactures poles for signals, lighting, and high mast lighting. They have the capability to dip something this big. I do not know if they would do this or if it would be affordable, but it doesn't cost much to ask. There may be a car type guy in charge that would understand.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Bird Cage Galvanization

I wouldn't recommend hot-dip galvanizing such a structure without having it firmly bolted solid to a heavy fixture developed just for that purpose; the heat involved in the hot-dip process will most likely distort it dimensionally. Either Peugeot or Renault did this (hot-dip galvanizing) to a fully-welded plain steel inner structure for one of their fiberglass-skinned minivans about ten or twelve years ago, and it was a full-fledged disaster due to post-dip dimensional variation; they gave up about a month into production and went to galvanized steel for all the individual stampings like every other manufacturer uses.