Honest Assessment
Nick walks the job with you, photographs everything, and tells you what's worth blasting and what isn't.
About This Service
Back to Bare Metal — and Honest About What's Underneath
Most of us never look under the car. We drive it, wash it, sort the WoF, and move on. But Waikato salt air and wet winters quietly work on the steel below. Sandblasting strips paint and rust right back to bare metal — and at Higgins, Nick runs the bay. He's spent years on garnet blasters and can tell almost by sound when the pressure is right for a thin door skin versus a heavy chassis rail. Done well, it's the cleanest way to see what your car is actually made of.
- Garnet abrasive — the NZ standard for car steel
- Chassis, panels, wheels, parts and full shells
- Same-day primer to stop flash rust before it starts
- No job too small — single bracket to full restoration
Inclusions
What's Included When Sandblasting
Garnet Blast
Pressure tuned to the panel — sharp cut on rust without warping thin automotive steel.
Masking
Threads, bushings, glass and anything you don't want blasted is masked or removed first.
Same-Day Primer
Etch primer goes on the same day so bare metal doesn't flash-rust in Waikato humidity.
How It Works
Our Sandblasting Process
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Drop In
Bring the part or vehicle to 132 Ellis Street. Nick takes a look and quotes on scope, size and finish.
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Mask and Prep
Anything that shouldn't be blasted is masked or removed. Shells and large jobs are staged ahead of time.
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Garnet Blast
Garnet cuts through paint, rust and old underseal turning it into clean, etched, primer-ready steel.
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Photograph and Prime
We photograph what shows up underneath, walk you through it, and lay down etch primer the same day.
Our Work
Back to Bare Metal
A few that came through the Frankton bay. Drag your eye across the seam — same panel, before the blast and after.
Before
After
1990 VL Commodore
Forty years of coastal surface rust on the shell. Garnet-blasted back to clean steel, then etch-primed the same afternoon before the Waikato air could touch it.
Before
After
Chassis Rail Strip-Back
Heavy underseal and scale lifted off a ute chassis so the welds underneath could finally be inspected.
Before
After
Classic Door Skins
Thin pre-1980 panels stepped down to finer media and lower pressure — sharp enough to cut the rust, gentle enough to leave the steel flat.
Common Questions
FAQ
Will sandblasting warp my panels?
Not when it's done right. We use garnet at the right pressure for automotive steel — sharp enough to cut paint and rust without heat-warping thin panels. Nick switches to finer media on door skins, bonnets, and pre-1980 panels.
How much does sandblasting cost in Hamilton?
Indicative NZ rates sit around $22–$30 NZD per square metre depending on the media and surface. Higgins Panel and Paint charges $300 NZD per hour including GST. Drop in or call and we'll give you a real number.
Can a panel beater also do sandblasting and paint?
Yes — we do all three under one roof in Frankton. Sandblast, then rust repair and weld, then through our own spray booth. One quote, one team, one timeline.
Will sandblasting find hidden rust?
Almost always. Older NZ cars hide rust under paint, especially anything that's lived near the coast. Blasting reveals it so it can be fixed properly before fresh paint goes on — we photograph everything and walk you through what changed.
Do you prime the same day?
On most jobs, yes. Bare clean steel will flash-rust within hours in Waikato humidity, so we lay down etch primer the same day. If you're collecting parts to paint yourself, plan to prime within 24 hours.
Wondering what's under your paint?
Drop in or give us a ring. Free assessment, honest answer, no pressure.
Get in Touch