Car repair is a big business, because thousands of companies across the country and around the world are meticulously working to make old cars look new. This process usually involves replacing original parts, but purists and collectors know that original parts are always the best in terms of overall value. 

However, there is another option. As Oscar Goldman said in the introduction of the "Six Million Dollar Man", "We can rebuild him. We have the technology." We can disassemble the vehicle, repair and refurbish its original parts, and restore it to just off the production line. What it looks like when going online and offline. A new trend to protect the world is dry ice cleaning.  

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dry ice? Like something in a haunted house or something used to quickly freeze whole tuna? Yes, we are talking about dry ice. It is similar to medium injection, but may be less abrasive, much like steam injection. 

You may have questions about this new repair technique. The Drive's Guides & Gear team provides answers here. 

This before and after comparison shows the effect of dry ice cleaning.

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. If you are going to spray ultra-cold material through a pressurized hose-it is almost minus 110 degrees Fahrenheit-it can actually clean the surface. It is similar to media jetting without abrasive materials such as glass beads or silica. 

It delivers pressurized dry ice through a hose. Regardless of the hose length, a single hose setup can achieve consistent pressure. The ACT dry ice service in the Philadelphia area gave us a closer look at how it works. 

The reason why dry ice particles are so effective as a cleaning agent for restorations is that carbon dioxide particles sublime when they hit the surface-which means that it changes from a solid to a gas without first becoming a liquid. It is not the impact of particles that remove dirt, rust and other debris. When the carbon dioxide particles turn back into gas, a miracle will happen. Unlike the gouge effect produced by processes such as sandblasting, dry ice blasting can remove sticky matter, oil and decades-old soot without removing steel, aluminum or other metals from the car. 

Want more magic? Part of the appeal of dry ice cleaning is that it does not remove any paint, because the material that has a strong bond with the surface will remain and the unneeded parts will be removed.

The picture on the left is the car before cleaning, and the picture on the right is the car after cleaning.

David Pickard from ACT introduced me to the basics. David first worked at Alpheus, a company that made dry ice blasters, and he has been in the industry for 25 years. He also worked for Yenko Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR convertibles. 

Most of his automotive work involves heavy degreasing, primers, or a combination of the two. The average work takes five to seven hours, depending on the severity of the dirt. He pointed out that access is the key, so the barbecue car spinner is ideal, but the elevator can help you get to the right area of ​​the vehicle. He once bombed a car on the ground, but he said it was not an interesting experience. 

This wheel was hard-shelled before the dry ice treatment, but it was much cleaner after the treatment.

For ACT’s cleaning services, the company’s facilities are approximately US$250 per hour, and if travel is involved, it’s US$350 per hour. This means that the general price range of the entire vehicle you are viewing is between $1,250 and $2,450. Other stores may charge more or less. 

Considering the advantages of dry ice blasting compared with abrasive media spraying, and looking at some before and after photos, dry ice blasting seems to be legal.

The original patent for dry ice cleaning is quite simple.

Dry ice cleaning comes from the aviation industry, and there is evidence that the US Navy used it as a degreasing agent as early as 1954. However, it was not until 1974 that Lockheed Martin applied for a patent for "blasting with particles". Materials that can be sublimated", we found the real application of dry ice cleaning. 

By the mid to late 1980s, other commercial industries adopted dry ice as a cleaning method. More patents were applied for the portable cleaning system, and things began to develop. The automotive industry is the latest application. 

Alpheus is able to use Lockheed's patents for commercial purposes. Today, companies such as Cold Jet, which acquired Alpheus, sell commercial-grade equipment that can be used for car repair. Many companies now provide services for your classic car repair. 

Whether you want to be a potential dry ice cleaning DIYer or just looking for service in the market, it’s important to understand the terminology. You have to speak dry ice jargon! Here are some of the most common terms you may encounter. 

According to Merriam-Webster, abrasive cleaning is the polishing or cleaning of hard surfaces by friction or grinding. It sounds like I'm on the high school dance floor. (Editor's note: Hit No. 2, William. You have been warned.) The key to understanding here is whether the particles are abrasive. Abrasive blasting removes all materials, including and even structural materials. Non-abrasive methods, such as dry ice cleaning or steam injection, will not.

This has nothing to do with explosives. This simply refers to forcing the material (in this case carbon dioxide particles) through a pressurized hose. 

As a solid form of carbon dioxide, dry ice is often produced as one of the by-products of ethanol production. When the gas escapes, it is collected and becomes a solid, which is only blown back into the gas during the cleaning process. Is science amazing?

These are corn kernel-sized materials used in the dry ice cleaning process. They are not available in stores, but are more likely to be used for industrial purposes. Picard said he had several sources within 45 minutes of his location in Pennsylvania. 

This is an endothermic process in which a solid becomes a gas without first becoming a liquid. It needs a specific temperature and pressure to sublimate. 

Want to see the actual effect of dry ice cleaning? Check out this video of our friends at AMMO NYC, they used dry ice cleaning to attack a dirty Porsche 964 engine.

you have a problem. The drive has the answer.

Answer: Of course you can. There are a bunch on eBay. However, since the system is not cheap, you may need a lot of surface blasting to make it worth the money. Their old model is priced at US$5,000, while the new model is priced at as high as US$20,000. The machine is measured by the total hours of use. 

Answer: As with any type of media blasting, please protect your eyes, ears and skin. Add some breathing protection and you can start. 

Answer: Yes. When the particles hit the surface, they basically become non-toxic gases. However, there is some cleanup.

A: It's messy, but it's not more messy than any other media blasting. Unlike sandblasting, there is no need to clean up the grinding media. Dry ice will turn back into gas, so you only need to clean up the falling dust, dirt and rust. In addition, it is very loud. The system operates at approximately 150 decibels. Picard said that bystanders would soon become discouraged and would not go out to see him work. 

We are here for all "how to" related expert guides. Use us, praise us, yell at us. In the comments below, we discuss together. You can also yell at us on Twitter or Instagram, or contact us here: guidesandgar@thedrive.com.

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