I have a very nice body on our Florida 1983 300SD. No rust yet. But even though my mechanic who looked the car over said it must have been garage stored the 23 y/o paint is very thin and sun faded. I am considering removing the body chrome and then having the car surface sand blasted. I am seriously considering using Magnet Paint. http://www.magnetpaints.com/msdstech.asp This can also be used as a undercoating/rust inhibitor paint for the undercarriage and as a primer for the external topcoat finish paint. This is not going to be anything more than a daily driver. Magnet paints claim they can match most any factory finish paint color. My car is the MB Mustard yellow. I am just curious if there is a going rate to sandblast a car? I have one shop near me under 50 miles that can do it. I just want to know what the usual going rate is? They also offer a painting service since they do cars and larger trucks. I painted a few cars myself in the mid 1970's when I worked in a garage. As I fondly recall the prep work was always the real killer part of painting any car. The actual painting is the easy part. Shoot I spray painted our house a few yeats ago and it came out fantastic. I would like to have the undercarriage and frame rails, gas tank and the inner wheel wheel wells, and under the side body side lower vinyl moulding rust protected from the salt in New England. I would like to own this car for at least 10 years. It is not my Mustang for speed but it is a great cruiser on the highway and much more comfortable for driving. As long as the chrome is removed and the parts well masked or removed like door handles, rocker panels, body moulding the paint finish tends to come out much nicer. So can anyone tell me the appoximate cost to sand blast a car to remove the old original paint? I know the car is not paint sick and there is no other coats of paint over the original finish. I can find someone to give me a paint job for $1,500 or even a little less money if I remove all the body and chrome body and side lower body panels, and save them many hours in the painting prep time. I do not mind doing some sweat equity work to save some loot for a sweet set of 16" chrome wheels for our car. Thanks for reading this. John