Need Input On Painting Lower Unit

[jb93]

I just purchased a 1960 Johnson 10hp that is in great shape. The cover, powerhead and mid motor area look nearly showroom except for a few scratches. The lower unit is another story. My questions are as follows:

1. What do I do to small scratches that expose bare aluminum on the upper part of the motor that is in great shape. I fear that touch up might make it looks worse.

2. For the lower unit, I was thinking of using aircraft paint remover and strip it to bare aluminum and start over from there. Should I do it as all one unit or as pieces? I have to rebuild it, so I could strip and paint separate parts while I have it open or rebuild and paint it complete once back together. I have a compressor but no spray gun. I suppose I could buy a cheap gun from Harbor Freight. The worst part is the lowest section and the skeg. Take a look at the pic below and let me know what you would do to get a 8 out of 10 finish appearance wise that will hold up well. I don't mind slight imperfections in my paint job as long as it is durable.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: Need Input On Painting Lower Unit

That Johnson will hold more of its value if you leave the original paint alone. Besides, you will NEVER match that 50+ year old paint.

If its the skeg and prop you're concerned about....forget about it....it will look just as it is now after the first encounter with shallow water.

If you are preparing a wall hanger, go ahead and disassemble the major components and paint away.....just sayin'. :joyous:

 

[jb93]

Re: Need Input On Painting Lower Unit

Isnt' it a good idea to get bare aluminum painted to help with corrosion resistance? I don't care much about it holding it's value, as I plan to use it. I also thought that if I paint the lower unit section complete that you see in my picture that it will be a natural break/line from the rest of the motor and slight color variation may not be so apparent unless one were to look closely. These guys claim to have matching paint and others in the Johnson/Evinrude forum have referred to them. Antique and Classic Outboard Motor Paint & Decals

I do appreciate the feedback though. I guess I had sort of made up my mind to paint it, but not sure if I should strip completely or just sand, prime and paint over the old paint where is is holding on good. I definately would like some more feedback.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Need Input On Painting Lower Unit

Don't strip it. What's there is solid. Lightly sand the whole lower unit, and then heavy sand the bare spots till it blends in smooth. Prime the bare spots with acid etching primer from NAPA, then topcoat with white rustoleum. Mask the upper leg and you'll only see a faint difference, which won't be noticable.

Rattle can paint will work fine and in a few years you can re-do if necessary. If you have access to a sprayer and buy a better quality paint with hardener, it won't last that much longer, given its use.

You can buy the factory matching paint for $30 a can, or Rustoleum for $3.99. The 30 stuff won't last any longer.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Need Input On Painting Lower Unit

Scrape, sand and prepare the old painted surface, then find some good quality spray paint that's a pretty good match and spray it on there...you can repeat that process maybe once a year or so to keep it looking more fresh. I use an automotive spray paint from Advanced Automotive that's a fairly good match for my Yamaha grey color to repaint my skeg and mid-section. Good Luck!