Painting my Mercury outboard?

[DirtyOldBoat]

I'm fixing up my old 1973 Mercury 1500, and I'm excited to find some reproduction decals for the cowling on ebay. I will also need to repaint the entire outboard, and I see that Mercury sells "phantom black" in 12oz spray cans. Is it going to come out good if I just use rattle cans to paint it? Would I be better off using some other kind of paint sprayer? I really want it to look like it's brand new. If I used spray cans how many do you think I should order to do the whole motor?

Also, should I strip all the old paint back to bare metal or just sand it and paint over? The original paint isn't that bad, just a lot of dings and oxidation. Do I need to use primer if I don't go back to bare metal?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

Rattle cans will work just fine. and if you prep the surfaces by scuffing the existing paint and using the right alum primer on the bare metal it will last just fine, I did mine 3 years ago and it still looks fine. I went to NAPA and had them color match my paint I just happen to like the martin senior paints.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

If the paint is in good shape, meaning that it is solidly adhered and not flaking or chipping off, then you can just sand and fair any imperfections, if you get to bare metal then you could use a high build type primer to level the surface...

Any dings that can't be easily tapped out using a hammer and a dolly, can be filled and faired with JB Weld or a similar product...

Any oxidation should be eliminated...

A good coat of primer over the freshly prepared surface will usually insure a good solid bond of the finish coat after a final scuffing with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper, but it isn't absolutely necessary...

The secret to a really good looking paint job is prep, prep, prep...the more and the better you do the better the finish...

The finish coating will reflect as much the world around it as it will the surface it is on...

Have fun and good luck,
GT1M

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

Unless you have a spray gun, then the rattle cans will be your best option . . . The aerosol sprays can be a bit tedious when painting a large area. Some folks (like me) use rustoleum black or similar enamels on our Merc's.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

GT is Spot ON. It's ALL about the prep. All the chip spots etc must be filled, feathered and dead level. If you want it to look new then put in the time and effort to get her smooth as a baby's behind.

 

[DirtyOldBoat]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

How about the old decals that are already on the cowl...any good way to get them off?

 

[laurentide]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

I've used a regular old hair drier and a razor. I think anything hotter can potentially remove paint.

 

[StevenT]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

I use the heat and scrape method too. I prefer using a plastic ice scraper. I also use "Goof Off" to get the glue residue off. You can buy it at Lowes or HD.

 

[gm280]

Re: Painting my Mercury outboard?

I have to completely agree with Woodonglass and GT1M. A quality paint finish isn’t in the final coat of paint but in the total preparation before that final stage. If you want a like new finish, do your work in the primer and sanding stages. If you try to spray over anything that you think the paint will simply cover, your finish will show it. Sand the primer coat(s) until you’re absolutely pleased with how it looks and feels. The finer the sand paper, the smoother the surface and final finish will be too. The final paint is just the icing on the cake... I learned that the long hard way myself...