Media blasting vs chemical dipping a shell

For a complete shell, these are the two serious options and they fail in opposite directions.

Chemical dipping

Strengths: it reaches every cavity, box section and seam — places no nozzle can see. It removes everything including seam sealer and old filler, and there is no risk of heat distortion.

Weaknesses: the shell must be completely stripped of everything that cannot go in the tank. Trapped chemical in seams can bleed out later and attack fresh paint if rinsing is not thorough. It leaves a smooth surface with no profile, so priming is time-critical. And there may not be a facility within a reasonable haul.

Media blasting

Strengths: leaves a proper anchor profile for primer. It is selective — you can strip a quarter panel without touching an interior. It is available locally and it can be done in stages.

Weaknesses: it only reaches what the nozzle can see. Box sections and enclosed cavities are not addressed. On thin panels it needs wet blasting and a careful hand.

Dipping is thorough. Blasting is controlled. Which matters more depends on how bad the cavities are.

The hybrid answer

Plenty of serious builds dip the shell for the cavities, then media blast the exterior surfaces afterwards to restore a profile for primer.

There is no dipping facility in Medicine Hat, so the real comparison for anyone here is media blasting locally against trucking a shell to Calgary or Lethbridge and back. Freight usually decides it.