Look at this ugliness! All to change my battery tray...
 

Bought a new battery tray and hold down kit and am gonna freshen up underneath it. Well still in the process, but a lot more work needed than I imagined...a lot of surface rust, so started sanding it down and am gonna buy a wire brush to make easier work of it. Then I'll wipe it down/clean it, primer it and repaint it the same Red as my car. Not gonna do the whole shock tower brace, but up to where the coil mounts. I'll have the engine bay smoothed and painted when the car gets paint in a few years. Luckily it's only surface rust, but still what a PITA! Any suggestions to make it easier, I'd love to hear!

The old battery tray:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...m_05/005-2.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...m_05/006-1.jpg

Under the old battery tray:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...m_05/007-1.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...vem_05/008.jpg

Wiped down a bit:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...vem_05/009.jpg

And started sanding it down this afternoon:

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...m_05/010-1.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...m_05/011-1.jpg

yea that is pretty bad, now im curious to see what mine looks like. especially on the strut tower

Yeah pretty ugly huh!? It's weird, there's zero rust anywhere else in my engine bay, and none on the strut tower by the battery tray, just by the battery location itself. I almost think battery acid leaked or splashed a bit at some point and did it. Ah well, only surface...gonna buy some rust spray remover and nip in in the tail. Guess the rust remover spray makes quick work of it...

The best thing to use on that is POR15 or Chassis Saver. You've got it clean enough in the last pic... it's designed to be brushed on over light rust rather than clean bare steel. (read the label) It will stop the rust in it's tracks and it will never come back... and any new battery acid will not abe able to hurt it. Just apply the POR15, prime and paint... done.

Awesome, thannks for the info! Actually did end up buying some POR15, but the rust remover product. That took care of it for the most part, but figured I'd use some rust block anyways before the primer and paint so bought some Duplicolor Rust Off I believe it's called (similar to the POR stuff, but found it close at the auto parts store next to where I live). Did 3 coats of it, so gotta wait 24 hours and hope to primer and paint tomorrow.

The same thing happened to me... I decided it was time to paint the engine bay and then I re-located the battery to the trunk. Cleaned up the wires in the process too. Now I can be proud of the under-hood haha

Man. I've had the engine out of my car three times. Makes me wish at the time that I took the time to do that and paint my engine bay. :( Sadly now the cars my only daily.

Adding a whole new post for some different before/after pics...check it out!