engine bay pics please help

this is a photo of my engine bay, just picked up and driven back from west coast of wales to birmingham with no issues, has full MOT with only advisory re: brake pipe slightly worn;

now there appears to be a LOT of rust but is there anything i need to change asap? or should be concerend about, im sorry i am a noob when it comes to mechanics and still leanring what bits are which!!!

it needs servicing but is there anything else i.e. the rusty bits that need replacing NOW?
if not how can i tend to the rusty bits and get them back looking nice!>

cheers

neil

25 views and not one reply..... ah well

I'm not sure if there's anythign serious there but hard to tell from a pic. Maybe pop it down to a local garage and get a second opinion. A lot of it looks like surface rust so a short term fix would be to sand/wirebrush it back and then re paint it with something like hammerite (on the non so hot bits i.e. radiator cowl) or VHT temp on the hot bits (engine block etc).

Depending on how bad the surface rust is and how far you want to go you could take bits of and send them off for sand blasting and powder coating, but that would mean not using the car in the mean time. If you were doing a resto I'd recommend this (strip out the whole engine, and get rid of all the rust).

Take a good look at the battery tray because rust there can often spread onto the front beam (not sure it's called that) and that isn't good.

But if the rust is superficial, and the mechanic says it's not going anywhere and it is safe, just drive and take bits off to sand and paint as you go and enjoy driving her.

Ok that's great thank u, think I'll pop to vw rescue next week and have a chat. Appreciate the input

My 1.3 engine bay was very similar when I got mine:


It doesn't take much effort to get them shiny again though - I haven't taken my engine out though, but a few licks of paint here and there:




And it makes all the difference!

Your heatshield has about had it though!!

Take it that's the bit directly underneath the engine block? How important is this as I've noticed not all have them on

Did u take the top off the engine to sort and paint?

Glad to hear you got home safe and sound!

Yeah ta done 400 mile so far no dramas! Operation restoring former glory has commences

i would just take the fan housing, rocker cover, and cam covers off. Give them a once over with a wire brush on a drill/grinder then hammerite them.

the rocker cover will need a new gasket, but they are cheap.

the heater pipe plate on the exhaust mani looks like it might need replacing, but there should be a few of those around

All cosmetic as far as the photo goes but you might want to do the cambelt if you have no history of it being changed.

You don't have to do much to make it look acceptable.. I've only painted tha basics and given it a little wash..