The first question almost everyone asks before bringing their Beetle, Bus or any other vehicle to Rahden for dry ice blasting: what does it cost? The short answer: €180 per hour including VAT, a complete car from €540, a motorcycle from €180. The long answer depends on what is sitting on your metal and how much of it. Here we explain how our prices come about, what drives the effort and what you can do to bring the quote down.
- We bill by time: €180 per hour including VAT.
- Guide prices for typical jobs: motorcycle from €180, engine bay from €180, complete car from €540, removed engines and gearboxes from €100.
- The effort depends on the type and thickness of the layer, the area and the result you need.
- Binding quote from phone photos or an inspection in Rahden, usually the same working day.
Our prices at a glance
All prices include VAT. The "from" prices are guide values for typical jobs. Before the appointment you get a binding quote, either from a few phone photos or after a short inspection at our workshop in Rahden.
What the price depends on
We bill by time. The hourly rate covers the blasting unit, the dry ice, the compressed air and the person lying under your vehicle for hours. How many hours it takes comes down to four things.
1. What is sitting on the surface
Loose dirt, dust and old grease come off quickly. Decades-old, brittle bitumen underbody coating cracks off nicely under the cold shock. It gets laborious with fresh, still elastic underbody coating or wax applied only a few years ago: the material cushions the impact and takes considerably more time for the same area. We tell you exactly that in advance, as soon as we have seen the vehicle or photos.
2. How thick the layers are
A split-window Beetle we prepared for restoration had layers of dirt and rock-hard underbody coating up to a centimetre thick on the floor. The complete floor took around five hours. A vehicle with a thin, even layer is clean much faster.
3. How much area and how accessible
A complete underbody with wheel arches, axles and floor pan is a different job from an engine bay. And every corner the nozzle cannot reach easily costs time. On the T1 Samba we blasted completely, we even took the front axle out so that every spot was reachable.
4. What result you need
"Clean and ready to install" is faster than "as pretty as possible". Of two gearboxes shown in the video below, one was spotless after a short time. The other did not become pretty despite considerably longer work, because the discolouration was in the metal itself. Both could be installed. Tell us beforehand what you need the part for, and we will not blast longer than necessary.
▶ Watch on YouTube: Dry ice blasting at Knepper (4K)
Examples from the workshop
- Removed gearbox: half an hour to two hours depending on the dirt, from €100.
- Beetle engine bay, engine stays in: oil, grease and dirt come off with the engine installed, the complete electrics stay in place. From €180.
- Motorcycle: engine, frame and attachments assembled, from €180. We quote a fixed price from photos.
- Complete floor on a split-window Beetle: around five hours with centimetre-thick layers. With scraper and wire brush that would have been many days of work.
▶ Watch on YouTube: Split-window Beetle being dry ice blasted
What is included in the price, and what is not
Dry ice does not remove solid rust. It shows you where it is.
Exposed metal should be preserved promptly, otherwise moisture will reclaim the spot. You can see what such a repair looks like on our floor pan repair page.
Why we bill by time with "from" prices
Some providers work with fixed-price packages by vehicle class; for a complete car underbody these often start in the four-figure range. That is convenient, but in doubt you pay for effort your car does not have. We have been blasting our own restoration projects for years and know how different two Beetles of the same model year can be. Hence: hourly rate, "from" prices as orientation and a binding quote before we start. No surprise on the invoice.
How to get an exact price
- Send photos. A few phone photos to office@knepper-bugs-more.de or via the enquiry form: underbody, engine bay, the worst corners. Add what you have in mind: restoration, sale, preservation.
- Guide price. We usually get back to you the same working day.
- Inspection and fixed price. For larger jobs we look at the vehicle at our workshop in Rahden and name a binding price.
- Blasting appointment. We complete most jobs in one day. With before-and-after photos on request.
You do not need to prepare or dismantle anything. We blast the assembled vehicle. Projects that are not roadworthy come by trailer, and in the immediate area we collect on request. Our catchment area is around 50 km around Rahden: Minden, Lübbecke, Espelkamp, Osnabrück, Bielefeld and Diepholz.
Frequently asked questions about the price
Is there a minimum job?
Removed engines and gearboxes start at €100, that is the smallest typical job. Small parts are usually only worthwhile if you bring several at once.
Is dry ice blasting more expensive than sandblasting?
The two methods cannot be compared by price because they solve different tasks. Sandblasting only works on the dismantled vehicle, removes material and can warp thin sheet metal. In return it removes rust. Dry ice works on the assembled car, without residue and without abrasion, and leaves the rust in place. Which method suits which case is explained in our article Removing underbody coating: dry ice, sandblasting or scraper?
Can I lower the price by doing prep work?
You can remove coarse lumps of dirt and loose chunks beforehand, that saves blasting time. Please no chemical cleaners or pressure washing in advance: water and chemicals in seams and cavities keep working there, and that is exactly what dry ice avoids.
What does preservation cost afterwards?
That depends on the findings and is quoted separately: cavity sealing, underbody coating, welding. After blasting we tell you honestly what is necessary and what can wait.
Do I have to bring the vehicle to Rahden?
Yes, we blast at our workshop. Projects that are not roadworthy come by trailer, in the immediate area we collect on request. Catchment area around 50 km: Minden, Lübbecke, Espelkamp, Osnabrück, Bielefeld, Diepholz.
Want a guide price for your vehicle?
A few phone photos are enough. We usually get back to you the same working day with a guide price, and it becomes binding after the inspection.
Monday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm. All details on the process on our page Dry ice blasting in Rahden.