Restoration of Fresh Air Vent

I've worked a little over the past couple nights to restore the fresh air vent. The vent is located under the driver side of the dash. A knob connected to a pull cable operates the flap controlling the flow of fresh air into the vehicle.

The flap is metal and was a little rusted. The rubber surrounding the flap is in very good condition. To restore this piece, I placed it in a bowl of phosphoric acid and water (1:1). The mixture removed all the rust, left a phosphate coating on the metal, and did not damage the metal. I'll paint the flap and glue loose sections of rubber down before reinstalling the flap.

I used the same bowl of phosphoric acid to clean a couple of the screws, a clip, and the rod to which the flap is mounted. All the pieces came out looking very nice.

I then painted the metal portion of the flap with Rust Encapsulator and Eastwoods Underhood Black (to finish off the last can). I used exterior caulk to try to attach the seal to the flap but was not very successful. I put a little superglue around the edge while the silicone caulk dries which should work out very well.

Unrestored:

Restored: