[70post]

Eastwood's tank paint looks like....well.....it looks like paint. Nothing out of a can, etc will give that original look if it matters. Paints just lay down a mono-color/mono-tone finish.

The original tern coating has a sort of hard-to-describe "inconsistent" appearance....variation of the color or look over the surface.

Also...the EWood paint tends to go on very dry and very flat. Typical "dry edge" look from using a spray can to paint a larger flatter piece like a tank.

It looks "OK" from a distance as all you see is a silver looking large part but if you know what an original tank (or new tank) looks like it's not very convincing.

On the Evapo---the stuff is really meant to be used on a part that can be completely submerged. Sure, they suggest laying towels, etc over larger parts like this but the results aren't very good....just not enough "exposure" to a pure Evapo-environment.

Also - I don't know the OP's circumstances exactly BUT......if you are using Evapo in the cooler winter temps...forget it....it won't do much of anything. The temps of the Evapo really need to be up there. It will work MUCH better the warmer it is but using the lay-a-towel-over-the-spot-and-saturate-with-Evapo technique with something like a heat lamp on it may just result in it evaporating off to the point where it's doing even less.

At lower temps the stuff barely works or does nothing at some point.

It is also VERY SLOW to remove heavier rust and really won't "pull" or remove the rust down in heavier pitted areas.

Galvanizing (zinc) turns duller and greyer over time.....that's the sacrificial nature (and purpose) of it to provide protection to the underlying metal. It can be "brightened" a bit BUT BARELY once it's "turned" (ie gone grey) and some of the brightening may just be the optical effect from making the surface glossier with any rubbing/polish, etc. You'll never get it to look like NEW galvanizing again.

The tanks aren't galvanized (which is a zinc type finish)...the flat steel sheets were coated (before rolling into rolls) with a "tern" finish which apparently was a lead/tin coating. Still, similar aging characteristics, etc.