Ask the Experts | What Color Will Your New Outboard Be?

[iboats.com]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Over the past few years we've seen the proliferation of custom paint schemes for outboard motors. Mostly, they've been more of a "coastal" or saltwater treatment than something seen on freshwater lakes. The custom paint jobs usually appear on larger boats with higher horsepower engines. [/FONT]

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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]For years, the engine manufacturers offered their brands in only their basic color; usually in tones of black, white, gray or silver. Modifying any of those colors or even the brand decals was tantamount to heresy. Some engine manufacturers were said to cut off engine sales to a dealer who would allow such a practice much less condone it. Today, engine manufacturers don't try to stop custom painting efforts but they also don't turn a blind eye to the results. [/FONT]


[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Over time, some engine manufacturers offered slight variations to their primary colors. A popular variation was to offer white engines in saltwater applications. [/FONT]


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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The color was purely for aesthetics. White paint, or light color, doesn't show the saltwater deposits or spray like darker color engines do. Again this year, Mercury now offers two different tints of white engines alongside their traditional black engines. [/FONT]


[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Some engine manufactures produced private label engines for large clients or boat companies (Tracker engines were made by both Mercury and OMC and Mercury produced a line of Sea Ray engines). [/FONT]


[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Most engine manufacturers still don't do custom painting for specific clients. It's a matter of economics. When you're making thousands of engines that could be hung on the back of just about any color boat, the engine manufacturer sticks with a fairly common paint scheme. [/FONT]


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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]So, custom paint shops take over from there. [/FONT]


[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Paint is the primary line of defense against corrosion for the outer skin of your engine. It has to protect your investment while looking good for dozens of years. Any custom paint has to live up to those requirements or costs to keep re-painting an engine will put them out of business in no time at all. [/FONT]


[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]As seen at the 2014 Miami International Boat Show (MIBS), custom painting to match or compliment the boat is very popular. [/FONT]


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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The use and abuse of brand logos had also been a bone of contention for engine manufacturers. Custom paint shops sometimes buy original replacement decals and sometimes not. Sometimes the decals are close to original and sometimes not. [/FONT]


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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]And sometimes they didn't use any decals. [/FONT]


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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The vast majority of boaters will be happy with the color of engine the manufacturer produces. But, for those who want to add a little more flair to their boating, the sky truly is the limit. Enjoy. [/FONT]