Looking for opinions and advice on sandblasting the engine compartment and under carriage of a 66 Mustang.

I have a local company that is qualified to do this, but needed to get the advice of the forum before I take the car to them.

The engine, tranny and front clip of the car are out of the way, but what other items need to be removed prior to blasting to avoid any possible damage.

Any advice or links to the archive are welcome.

Thanks,

TK

 

what kind of sand do they use?

 

What is your end goal with the car? (Nice Driver, Show Car, etc.) What condition is the engine compartment in?

The goal for my car was a show quality driver. I am in the process of finishing off my engine compartment. I looked into having the compartment blasted prior to getting my car painted. I decided against it because I didn't need any of the body panels blasted (I am fortunate to have a completely rust free car).

What I did was wire brush the engine compartment with a Simple Green. I bought a Ryobi palm sander at Home Depot, and went to town with it over the weekend. I wiped it down, sprayed it with black primer, and sprayed it with Rustoleum Semi-gloss. (I could not find a retailer who had the Krylon 1613 that many have recommended). It turned out pretty good. There were a few hard to reach areas I may put additional work into, but overall, it looks way better than it did last week. I doubt that you will be able to see any of the areas that I want to redo once my drivetrain, brakes, etc are put back in next week. I am spending more time on the little details like the color/finish of some of the bolts, hood hinges, latches etc.

Also, I agree with lilbossman in that you probably don't want them to blast it with sand. It can deform your panels if the pressure is not right. Walnut shells, baking soda, etc. work better. Also, whatever the use, it gets everywhere and can be time consuming to clean up.