Advice needed on repairing body rust and cookbox flaking paint / oxidation

Picked up a used 2013 spirit E-210 for a good price- good enough for a few years until I move somewhere that can accommodate a 3 burner genesis. Trying to keep it as nice as possible so i can pass it on to someone else and pay it forward.

• Right off the bat I noticed the outside of the cook box has some flaking paint. To fix this do I just remove the side table, brush the flakes off, lightly sand and hit it with some rustoleum BBQ & Stove spray paint? I only saw it in black, is there any brand thats close to the Weber grey I have?
  
  
  
  
  
• There is bubbling paint all over the bottom panel of the grill, in the corners where it meets the side panel and around the hole the propane tank floats over. Is it worth hitting this with a wire wheel and painting it? Or is this just something you wait until it rusts through and then order a new panel from Weber due to the amount of effort involved with getting the rust out and painting?
  
  
  
  
  
• Instead of the uniform black seasoning charred coating I am used to on the interior of the cookbox, there is a lot of white ashy looking substance. If I brush it a white dust cloud goes everywhere. Is this just corrosion of the cookbox? Do I need to do anything with it (is it bad) or just cook and it will crust over with seasoning?
  
  
  
  
  
• The burner tubes are loose (they move forward and back about a half inch of play). The screws in the back of the cookbox are of course corroded, but they dont snug down on the burner tubes (rather they just keep them loosely in place). Is it worth replacing these screws (can you find a similar screw at hardware stores?) or adding some washers to snug it down just a tad?
  
  
• I plan to try to get the rust off the side tables with Barkeepers.

I'd say any of the approaches you mention are worth trying. For the exterior rust and paint flaking, definitely go at it. For the interior of the cookbox, I personally would probably hit it with a wire brush, then clean it out good with water. It might be aluminum oxidation dust, and I wouldn't want any of that in my food. So for the interior, and I'm not any kind of person anyone listens to really, but I would brush it out, clean it out with water then season it with some cheap meat or something that will coat it with fat and "cook it in".

Two cents, good luck!

I don't think the burner screws are supposed to snug them down. They're only "locating" screws much like the left side screws on the older e/w burner Genesis models. You can do the wire cup brush on a small grinder trick on the interior but don't paint it. The rusty cabinet. Brush off anything loose than hit it with this http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-black-rust-encapsulator-paint-over-rust.html or another product called POR15. Either will stop that stuff dead. The Eastwood products are available in different colors if you so desire also. Good stuff too. You can then paint over the treatment with no issue. The outside of the fire box. Just wire brush the loose stuff wash it down with a strong degreaser that leaves no residue like CRC Brake cleaner (can find at any auto parts store and does not have to be CRC brand). Wash it down really well and let it dry well. Then paint with the high heat paint brand of your choice and color choice.

All good responses. Bad news is that I have yet to come across a color matching high heat paint. When I ran into this on an E310, I did a color change on the grill box and side caps, using black high heat ultra. Looked pretty good with the smoke Grey lid cover.