Sandblasting an engine bay. Best Route?

[Andrew McBride]

I have been working on an old 65 mustang and all the bodywork is pretty much finished except for the engine bay. I want the engine bay to be as perfect as it rolled off the assembly line. I hate sandblasting due to the mess. Any other options? :hmm:

[Todds69]

Aircraft stripper and then wash it off and sand smooth.

[Andrew McBride]

the stuff in the can? hmm...I have a Hot water Hotsy power washer that gets up around 3,000 PSI. :hmm: I wonder if you can buy a chemical stripper in a gallon can or something? It will take quite a bit of cans to clean the whole compartment.

Thanks for the feedback.

[MuscleRodz]

I would not sandblast. I would media blast it. You can buy stripper by the gallon, but I can't stand to use it or smell it. It is also messy and clean up is a pain. I would rather pay someone to media blast it and be done with it.

Mike

[Todds69]

buy a gallon of stripper and you can get the low odor style. It's a lot cheaper than media blasting...$24/gal. and the satifaction of doing it yourself.....Like the saying goes, "you want something done right you got to do it yourself."

[ProdigyCustoms]

Stipper, wire brushes, sanding is a hard way to go, but can be done. I personally like sand blasting. It takes care of rust where media blast does not, and leaves the surface well etched for urethane primer. A sandblasted surface is ready to paint once the sand is removed. good etching and adhesion is most important in a area with high heat like a engine room.

[MuscleRodz]

Stipper, wire brushes, sanding is a hard way to go, but can be done. I personally like sand blasting. It takes care of rust where media blast does not, and leaves the surface well etched for urethane primer. A sandblasted surface is ready to paint once the sand is removed. good etching and adhesion is most important in a area with high heat like a engine room.
The media blasters in my are that routinely do cars mix silica sand into the media to take care of the rust that the media won't remove. Also the ratio is small enough that they don't get heat warpage from heavy handed blasters.

Mike

[68protouring454]

i would love to see someone warp a firewall or inner fender. Sandblast it and be done, blow it off and vacuum and as frank says its ready for etch primer/sealer/paint. plastic media is not even close to aggressive enough, sandblast and be done period
jake

[ProdigyCustoms]

Yeah, Jake is right. I have basted hundreds of firewalls, under carriges, inner fenders, with 100lb pressure pot with 100lbs pressure. No chance of warpage in these areas. I also sandblast door shells, trunk and door jams, fender bottoms, edges of fenders at the rear and wheel well, and rear fender brace along with the inner area of fender where hood hinge hinge mounts.

I would take it somewhere if I was doing a home job.

[fiream400]

i did it the hard way. i scraped and sanded until smooth DO NOT DO THIS unless you are really bored