As far as I know SPL have now moved onto an Electroless nickel plating process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroless_nickel_plating

twofifty AZU,
I'm sure that old films taken in Citroen's production lines showed bodyshells being immersed in baths of pickling solution, rinsing water or paint.

You could tell which bodyshells had been 'hung by their heels' because of the paint runs, heading towards the front, on the flat area under the rear seat...

ken.

Go to 2:00 minutes in on this film, for undeniable proof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3-eYNAg ... re=related

Sure, but if you see how it is lifted out it is tipped forwards, so the liquid drains out of the big holes in the forward edge of the boot floor.

The point I was trying to make, probably badly, is that if you have a shell dipped you need to drill additional 10mm drain holes. As far as I remember the boot floor doesn't have big drain holes at the back for instance. When the cars get lifted by a brummie non a one off basis there is no guarantee it'll be done at the angle Citroen designed.

Spare wheel wells or box sections full of liquid are too heavy for a shell to support.

Couldn't you have the shell dipped upside down ¿

On a 2CV probably but on a conventional car it'd be a bit hard on the roof. It is interesting to go to SPL, but I think you'd come away having ticked another potential career avenue off your list. You walk in there and you can taste the acid on your lips. The inhibited acid in in enormous steel tanks. The shells get lifted out and the paint hangs off the shells in sheets. That gets pressure washed off.

It isn't actually one dip. Initially all the paint, filler and underseal gets removed. The process also eats aluminium and lead loading. The cars look like they've caught fire at the end of that stage of the process. A further dip then removes all rust and an alkaline dip stops the steel from flash rusting too quickly.

What about the high zinc content paint one can get? If done properly how does that compare to galv/electro-plating?

It is very hard to overcoat. The idea behind galvafroid and similar high zinc coatings is that it functions as an anode. If there is an electrolyte, salty road spray to you and me, it effectively corrodes saving the steel.

It works great under wings and the like where appearance isn't that important, but used on a visible surface with shiny paint over it you tend to end up with the paint falling off.

To be honest it is a bit pointless in that application. Perforation pretty much always starts inside box sections and from edges, not in the middle of a panel. Conventional decent quality paint will preserve a sheet of steel pretty much indefinitely providing the coating is intact. If you use a good quality anti rust wax inside the box sections, keep drain holes free and don't allow mud to build up corrosion can be kept at bay.

Bilt Hamber Dynax is very effective. http://www.bilthamber.com/dynaxs50.html

*Considers a restraining order for his car *

Galvanizing your shell at Duckservice will cost you around 1550 euro's. It's everything but cheap but it should keep your body in good shape for decades.

In the south east Medway galvanizing in sittingbourne kent have massive tanks to put cars into . I would say if you could not dip and entire 2cv body the 1st 10" would save the majority of the corrosion that would occur.