Media Blasting?

I have a 66 Super Van in pretty decent shape. Has surface rust and some rust in the drip rails. There is no rot on the exterior. There are a few holes in the passenger side floor and the rear floor is rot through from a leak. I have an identical donor van which I will be cutting apart shortly to repair the floors. When I found this donor van in a field nearby it was like hitting the lottery since there were approximately only 900 of these vans made!

I had seen a YouTube video of an Econoline being media blasted to the bare metal. It was then primed and painted. The finished product was amazing! Is blasting the best option to get rid of the surface rust and prepare for primer?

In my travels today I stopped by a local company who does media blasting. Here are the following ballpark estimates I was given..

Exterior: $1000
Roof: $500
Interior: $500
Frame/Underside: $500

The worker also told me they could primer the entire van as well. If they'd blast the entire van it would be about another $1500 to primer it.

Another local company gave me an estimate of $3500 just for blasting the exterior alone! This seems a bit high given the other company's estimate.

Has anyone media blasted their van? Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!

Media blasting is usually the best option, but which media will they be using ? I would look for someone who will do Soda blasting, not as course and less heat. Also check around for some one who could dip the body, chemicals remove all the coatings and oxidized metals

soda blaster here - about 1200.00 for all incl=primar. he does custom cars & such & prices can get higher yet-- basic cars & vans 800-1200.bux.

I did ask if they use soda and he said no, they use a "blend".. We didn't get into specifics so not sure what that means. But this particular company does specialize in blasting vehicles and truck frames. I'd assume they know what they are doing.

$1200 sounds like a deal to me! Still shopping around but it seems like the options are limited in my area..

Has any one ever used a Harbor Freight soda blaster? If it works, DIY may be the way to go to save money!

This guy uses only soda -ive visited with him- he has a large =really large like paint booth X 2 he uses to blast & primar cars in. His real buisness is going into partially burned buildings & homes with his blasting truck & blasting burned wood-comes out like new - the insurance companys love hims as then the replacement wood structures are cheaper to replace Hes done many really nice classic cars & such too.

Another plus for the soda over blends is that it is water soluble so no real residue left to get blown around when painting. Wash it down and its clean and ready for primer. Keep looking in your area & check in with some local auto clubs for some one to clean up the Van. The prices you posted sound inflated to the extreme. Might be cheaper to send the body here in Spokane get it cleaned and shipped back home then to pay those prices.

I've had cars soda blasted. The guy that does mine charges me $500 to $600. He comes to my house and blast my cars. He has a portable system and uses 100% baking soda. I can't justify sanding a car down by hand at that price($100/hr). When he's done the metal is shiny clean. Word of CAUTION----if you do soda blast, you have to rinse,clean,rinse,clean,rinse.clean------oh yea,did I mention you must rinse and clean. The stuff is ultra fine and extremely messy---it goes everywhere---into every crack,hole and space. It is paint's mortal enemy----if you don't get every bit gone it will play havoc on your paint job. This is why some people don't care for soda blasting. Then you must use epoxy primer over the bare metal. I have never had any problem,but a lot of people do.
Good Luck Mike

Every media has pluses and minuses.
Soda leaves a finer surface and is better in the hands of a newbie. It does NOT remove rust well.
Various slags are much more aggressive, not good for the flat sides, but eats rust well.
Garnet is a medium between the two. Cuts rust, but not as aggressive as slags.
Silica Sand has health issues and often isn't as effective as others, but cheap.
Find out who is in your area and make the choice, unless you are willing to transport long distances.

ill add to this =from experience= sand blasting will take everything off! incl= bondo!! soda wont! also sand will leave the metal etched & will also warp the metal if done aggressively (heat)! Just foe me = Id use only soda blasting.- & be ready to primar the vehicle - rust will form - even over night & in a short time

I've heard of some people using dry ice as a media. I'm not sure how common it is, but it is very clean. There is also little chance of warping sheet metal.

Where got a quote for dry ice blasting on huge, almost walk into, rooftop squirrel cage blowers. It was really expensive. Dry ice was the best solution b/c all you had to catch was the dirt/dust above the factory floor where these units reside.