I had my Pantera soda blasted. While it removed the paint it still needed much work. The soda will not do anything to the metal. You can soda blast a carburetor for instance and it will not effect the markings or anything else. Pistons soda blasted and the serial numbers still un-effected. Things like carbs can be soda blasted without fully disassembling them then washed. There are some nice advantages to soda blasting.
This however is a disadvantage to car bodies. It does not remove all the rust. It leaves the surface smooth and un prepared for paint. If the car has ever been sand blasted, the adhesion of the paint after blasting will make it impossible for the soda to remove the paint. This shows the adhesion gained from roughing up the surface.
Soda also must be neutralized when done. Most wash the car down with water and specific chemicals to neutralize the soda. I chose to just re-sand blast it my self. Sand blasting only hits the area you can hit with a spray guy which is why I like blasting and I don't like hosing it down or dipping.
The following photos are taken after soda blasting and I spent a good portion of a summer blasting area by area then protecting that section with a hobby blaster. Notice how shiny the wheel wheels are prior to blasting. Blasting makes the perfect surface for paint to adhere to:
