I currently rip my front and back seats apart to recover them. The spring frame of the back seat is rusted, but only on the surface.
I don’t want to use the frame as it is. What is a good way to prepare it?
I’m debating with myself between having them zinc plated by a nearby shop or use rust converter and black chassis paint.
Any other ideas what works best?
Thanks, Manfred
It all looks like surface rust, so remove as much rust as possible.
Spray the entire piece with a rust converter/neutralizer. I’ve used Loctite Extend Rust Neutralizer and believe it works well.
Spray with a decent paint.
Manfred
If you get a plastic tub that fits (kid’s swimming pool) get some phosphoric acid ( swimming pool chemical ) throw it in for a day wash it of and paint
Done
Cheers
It depends how affordable your neighborhood plating shop is. When my car was restored 23 years ago I found a shop that would do zinc by the pound. Every zinc plated part on the car got shipped there and plated for a few hundred bucks because it requires very little effort on their part, unlike chrome. It was far less work for me than having to derust everything. If you can find a place willing to galvanize them cheaply, it might be worth it to you. It also might last a bit longer. Logic would suggest that paint on something that flexes as often and as much as a seat spring, might not last that long.
I would suggest using a wire brush drahtburste to get off as much of the rust as possible, wipe it with Denatured Alcohol denaturiertem alkohol to remove any surface contaminant then apply the Loctite rust neutralizer. If you have access to a bead blast cabinet sandstrahlkabine to get the rust off, even better! Use a rust inhibiting paint like our RustOleum line.
It’s taken 50+ years to get this “bad” …… wire brush it quick spray with black enamel ….this time it’ll last 100 years plus!
Manfred, there are two common rust products used by many. One, like Extend, is a latex product. I avoid that. The other goes by many names, like Right Stuff, but they use phosphoric acid. Rust is Fe2O3 - the familiar red oxide that covers iron exposed to moisture and oxygen. Phosphoric acid converts that to Fe3O4 - black oxide. That is a hard coating that is quite permanent and is paintable. Black Oxide does not chip, peel, flake or rub off, but it can be porous so it should be sealed. Phosphoric acid is cheap and easy to apply.
I like the answer Erica provided with the zinc plating as it is more permanent, but were I doing seat springs, I’d do as Jim said. I probably would not even paint them - after all most seat springs are not painted and they last for many, many decades.
Today I got a quote of $ 30,- for de-rusting and zinc plating both spring frames of the back set. I left them at the plater and will post a picture once I get them back.
Manfred
Not worth fooling with at that price good decision
Rear seat spring frames zinc coated for €20,-
I think it’s hard to beat that.
Thanks for all replies, Manfred
It’s really a shame to cover them up. Maybe you could trim them in clear vinyl.
