I have no problem blasting the body with a hobby blaster but only because this thing is so weak it took 3 months to get the car done; 3 months in 100 degree weather wearing suit, hood, goggles, respirator, ear plugs, rubber gloves, etc. All this AFTER the paint was removed. Soooo...Point being my blast pretty weak.
The right sand blaster CAN do body panels without damage but they are getting harder to find. What we have locally is the blasting operator being a low paying position with high turn over. I wouldn't let them do body panels.
It's a tough call. I had best luck with glass as media. A media which is not as rough does not rough up the metal enough.
I just can't get into dipping a uni body car. I have heard too many stories of guys cars rotting from inside out and thinks like stripper which was suppose to be neutralized rolling out across a body panel on first the first drive!
This is a Jeepster I am helping a friend with and we are only doing non body parts:
