One method of removing paint is to use plastic grinding wheels (available through Frosts). We soon realised this would take quite some time and would not be suitable for the more intricate parts such as the engine bay.
It took a while but eventually we settled on using a new process of low pressure blasting using baking soda. Soda blasting is very popular in the US and has not yet caught on in the UK so we set about researching how we can use this equipment in the UK. To get access to the under side we purchased a body roller from Frosts:
Major panels before blasting. The engine cover shows the drain tube in place and still with the handle on. The bonnet is not the one that came with the car but from FBIV in Wales. Its basically a very used correct 62 bonnet with the Wolfsburg crest and the non raised plinth for the VW badge. There is also a close up of a stress crack on the leading edge of the bonnet – this will need re-inforcing of repairing somehow.
With the body on its side access to the underside is very easy and suitable for working on the underside including gearbox. The underseal present was very thin but again the only real area of corrosion were the floors and the lower wing mount on the drivers side rear wing.
This is the front wheel well. You can just make out the crease on the lower front valence – fortunately there is a spare front clip. The cut outs for the release mechanism is slightly different and will need modifying when it gets welded on?