On which cars galvanized body: list

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

One of the car's worst enemies is moisture. It is able to penetrate under the paint on the body, as a result of which the metal begins to rot. This process is called corrosion. There are different ways to deal with corrosion of cars, and one of them is galvanizing. The fact is that a galvanized body prevents the penetration of moisture for a long time, but sooner or later even such cars rot. Let's see which cars have a galvanized body, what are the methods of galvanizing.

Let's start with the fact that such a characteristic cannot guarantee complete protection against car rot. Some manufacturers (European, Japanese, Korean, American) actually produce cars in fully galvanized bodies, while others only partially galvanize some parts. Naturally, the quality will suffer.

To understand how things are with galvanized cars, you must first understand the three known methods of galvanizing the body.

Thermal galvanizing

The mosta reliable and effective method is used by the VW Group. We are talking about thermal galvanization. This method of corrosion control is expensive, but effective. Because of him, the car greatly adds to the price, but the result is worth it. More details about this method will be discussed below.

Galvanized zinc plating

Galvanized galvanizing can be used for complete bodywork, as well as for individual elements. This is a simpler technology for protecting vulnerable areas of the body. Often, the bottom of the car, sills and arches are subjected to galvanic galvanization - the places most vulnerable to corrosion. Partial anti-corrosion treatment is applied to inexpensive cars that are sold in bulk.

Cold galvanizing

The last method is cold galvanizing. This method resembles the previous one in technology, but this one is even simpler and cheaper. Some car owners can process body parts in this way in their garages. The car does not need to be immersed in a special zinc-containing solution for this. The solution itself is applied to the body using an electrode that is connected to the positive terminal (the car body is connected to the negative terminal). Some car services offer a service for processing car body elements, however, complete processing will not work in this way. Since this method is not used by car manufacturers, it is not worth describing it in detail.

Which cars are heat galvanized?

Impossible to list allcars that are produced with galvanized bodies. There are a lot of them, and the list is constantly updated. At a minimum, all cars of the Audi and Volkswagen brands after the year 2000 have fully galvanized bodies. Also, the following car brands have an anti-corrosion coating applied using heat treatment:

1. "Porsche 911".
2. "Ford Escort".
3. "Ford Sierra";
4. "Opel Astra" and "Vectra" (after 1998).
5. Volvo 240 and up.
6. "Chevrolet Lacetti".

Zinc plated machines

Cars that have been galvanized:

1. "Honda". Models Accord, CR-V, Legend, Pilot.
2. Chrysler.
3. "Audi" (all after the 80th model).
4. "Skoda Octavia".
5. "Mercedes".

It is possible to list the makes and models of cars for a very long time, because there are many unknown or little-known manufacturers that make cars with galvanized bodies. There is an opinion among experts that Audi cars have the best body. The concern produces galvanizing by galvanizing, covering the entire body with an anti-corrosion layer. However, according to reviews, it is known that such well-known cool cars as the Porsche 911 or Volkswagen Passat have bodies that do not rot for decades. Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundaiare issued with galvanized bodies. The same can be said for the Volvo 240 and many other quality cars that have been thermally or galvanized.

As for Chinese or Russian cars, anti-corrosion coating is also applied here, but not on all models. For example, Chinese Cherry CK and MK series machines rot fairly quickly. Sometimes manufacturers simply deceive the consumer, passing off ordinary cataphoretic primer with an admixture of zinc for a galvanized body.

To broadly summarize, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche are the main manufacturers that mainly produce models with fully galvanized bodies. In general, if in the characteristics of the car there is no word "full" near the term "galvanization", then we can assume that there is an anti-corrosion coating only on some parts of the body. Most often we are talking about the bottom and threshold.

Now you know which cars have a galvanized body, but in any case, when buying a car, you need to clarify this point, referring to the technical specifications.

Features of thermal galvanization

Given that there are different methods of zinc, it is logical to explain how they differ from each other. As already mentioned above, heat treatment is used only by large European manufacturers. The bottom line is this: the car body is completely immersed in a special zinc-containing solution. After that, the composition is heated to the desired temperature, as a result of whichzinc particles adhere to the metal. A thin film is formed on the surface of the metal, which does not allow moisture to pass through and prevents oxidation.

Cars with such bodies show the best results in s alt chambers. Some manufacturers generally give large guarantees for a body that has been processed in this way. Sometimes the warranty period is up to 30 years. The minimum service life of such vehicles is at least 15 years. That is, during all this time, the body will not even begin to rust.

Not every manufacturer can afford this technology. As mentioned above, this method is used in cars of the VW Group: Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Seat.

Also, some other manufacturers can boast that they make similar bodies. In particular, the body on the Ford Escort is thermally galvanized. The new Opel Astra and Vectra models and the Chevrolet Lacetti are no exception.

All these cars are more expensive than their counterparts due to the high cost of implementing such anti-corrosion treatment technology.

How is zinc plating done?

This method is simpler and more concise, but less effective. However, automakers still give long-term warranties for cars treated in this way.

The process of electroplating the anti-corrosion layer is simpler:

1. The car body or any part of it is immersed in a container containingacid zinc solution.
2. The negative terminal from the power source is connected to the body.
3. The capacitance itself is connected to the positive terminal.

With this connection, electrolysis is carried out in the tank. As a result of this process, zinc particles dissolve and stick to the car body. This forms a protective layer, which also prevents the oxidation process and repels moisture. This method is easier and cheaper. Therefore, galvanized machines are also more affordable. However, the efficiency and service life of such a coating is lower. A body with a thermally applied anti-corrosion coating will resist moisture much longer.

BMW and Mercedes are the leaders among automakers who electroplated their cars.

Partial galvanized

Many manufacturers use only partial galvanization, passing it off as full. This applies primarily to Chinese, Russian brands, as well as some Korean manufacturers. For example, "Lada Granta" and "Lada Kalina" are partially galvanized. The bodies of these cars are covered with a protective anti-corrosion layer by 40%, but this is not bad either. Here, the thresholds and the bottom of the car are treated with an anti-corrosion compound. In this case, we are talking about one-sided galvanization. The second side (inside) is painted and primed in traditional ways.

This approach allows manufacturers to save money and produce carsbudget class, designed for the mass buyer. But this does not prevent commercials from talking about anti-corrosion treatment, because it really takes place.

Conclusion

A car with a galvanized body is not a novelty. Technologies for applying anti-corrosion coatings have been known for a long time. But do not pay attention to the loud statements of manufacturers. First of all, you need to look at the warranty period that the concerns give for the manufactured bodies.