About Our Paint

We offer a high-quality, acrylic enamel to match most vintage and antique outboard motors. We are continually striving to expand our offerings and refine our formulas to accurately represent OEM colors.  

Disclaimer
Most of the factory paint formulas for vintage outboards are long gone. Our formulas come from the best paint examples we have been able to find.  Some of the these formulas were developed by the late Barry Ferrari (Reprotint) and others we have developed and refined as well. Developing formulas from original parts is not an exact science, so we are continually seeking out original outboard parts to examine factory colors. Please note, there may be slight differences between the paint on your motor and our paint. It is rare that our new paint would be an exact match to your vintage motor. This is due to a number of factors, such as:

• Wear - Colors fade over time due to age, physical wear, and exposure to sun, engine heat, and water. We have attempted to source samples from areas that are shielded from the elements and from engine heat.
• Factory variations - Even within the same model year, we have noted variations in color. When these motors were being built, they were being mass-produced and little care was being taken to build motors with “correct” colors throughout a model year. A slight variation in color would not have been reason to stop production, so often motors were sent to dealers and sold even though the formula was slightly altered. 

As an extra precaution when ordering paint for a project be sure to order all the paint you need in one batch to ensure consistency. We strive to mix our paint as accurately as possible but on rare occasion one might find slight variation in paint colors from different paint lots.

Shipping
Due to shipping regulations, acrylic urethane paint is considered a hazardous material and can only ship via ground service. This means we cannot ship overseas and continental shipments can only ship via US Postal Service Parcel Select and UPS Ground. USPS Parcel Select  does not permit shipping to Canada or Mexico, and UPS Ground Shipping does allow shipping to both Canada and Mexico. 

Mixing
Our acrylic enamel does not require an activator, but it does require a reducer if using a spray gun. The reducer is mixed at an 8:2 ratio and can be found HERE.

We are slowly adding a single-stage urethane option to our available colors. Single-stage urethane requires both a reducer and activator mixed at an 8:2:1 ratio. The activator can found HERE. 

Application
Our paint is very fast drying. When applying aerosol, start by applying light coats, 5 minutes apart. Apply consistently heavier coats until you have reached the desired coverage, allowing 5 minutes dry time between each coat.

Clear Coat
Our acrylic clear coat offers a way to protect your new paint and decals. However, our acrylic paint and acrylic clear is only fuel safe under brief contact.  Prolonged exposure to gasoline will cause the paint to bubble. In an area where fuel contact is a concern (particularly motors with an integrated fuel tank), our 2K clear is recommended. This is a 2-part urethane clear, which has a hardener built into the aerosol can. This offers a hard surface which is impervious to the effects of fuel. The 2K clear has a limited shelf life after the hardener has been mixed, but can be used for 1-2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator.    

We are proud of the way in which we help both professional and amateur restorers bring vintage outboards back to life. We always appreciate feedback on our products and love to see photos of finished projects! If you’d like to send photos of your work, please email them to vintageoutboardpaint@gmail.com and we may display them on our social media! Happy outboarding!