I am currently taking apart the whole front end of my 1956 88 to clean up the parts and pull the engine and transmission together.

The radiator mount and other panels in the engine bay are in pretty good condition, just light surface rust and some paint has chipped away.

I want to clean the panels up, but do it right and not screw it up. I was wondering what works for you guys.

I was thinking of using electrolysis to remove any rust, then using a wire wheel to remove loose paint. After that I would spray them with automotive primer, then final a flat black enamel.

 

im not the best resource but i prepped mine for a whole day and did the whole outter rim of the engine bay in flat black grill paint. havent had a problem with it yet. might not be the best thing ever but its lasted a million times opening and closing the hood and no problems yet. i couldnt look at the engine bay the way it was anymore. paint is cheap and you can work for hours for basically nothing. my next adventure is the inner bay and the motor. it should be fun.

 

If you are going to all of the fun of disassembling the entire front end, you could easily take the next step and have the rusted parts media (or sand) blasted. You can also purchase inexensive blasting equipment at Harbor Freight and do it yourself. It is WAY less work than wire wheeling and sanding by hand. I am doing the DIY route, and actually rather enjoy media blasting, sand blasting, sometimes (until I get grit in my socks, hair and eyes......... don't ask)

 

i guess mine wasnt to bad so blasting wasnt really needed. that would be a good route too.