Need a recommendation for a good spray paint.

[Bedwyr]

My garage frequently floods during spring meltoff. It's a rental so I can't control that entirely and my squat rack has been taking on a lovely bit of rust. It's powder coated black and I'd like to, at some point restore and protect it. I assume a wire brush and vigor will take care of part of it. But repainting the bottom part of the frame, what could be a good spray paint that wouldn't look too out of place next to the rest of the powder coat finish?

[Robroy]

I can't remember what it was, but when I worked for Excavation company, we would use an automotive rust converter. Basically you wire brush most the rust off and brush this stuff on, just like paint. It turned into a epoxy like coating that you could then paint. We picked it up at the local auto parts store.

[grimlock1]

Start with a wire brush.  Hand powered if you have to, but something on an angle grinder would be best.

Then hit it with a product called POR-15.  It comes in brush on or spray. 

It says you don't need to remove the rust... Remove as much as you can.  What makes rust so bad in steel and iron, is that the iron oxides that form tend to have greater volume than the base metal, leading to loose, flaking chips.  If you just seal the rust up, it will continue to rust for a while.  As more rust forms, it can expand and when that happens, it can break the seal of the paint, letting in more moisture. 

As to matching the existing?  It's a crap shoot. There are tricks you can use with a rattle can to hid the transition, but it's kinda hard to describe. 

Unfortunately, now that the rust is there, it's virtually impossible to get rid of.  You'll always be chasing this.

Sorry.

[Daryk]

You might also want to invest in a mat or blocks if the water's that deep...

[grimlock1]

You might also want to invest in a mat or blocks if the water's that deep...

that too