Can you paint an outboard cowling with automotive spray paint?

[kalebsheridan]

Hey everyone,
So I have an outboard with some pretty gastly clear coat damage, and even more gastly late eighties style decals (if you've seen a late 80s force then you know). Can I use automotive spray paint/clear coat to repaint the cowl? Not worried about color matching. The boat is kept on dry land too, of that helps. Would be nice to not have to look at the flaking clear coat, plus people may not know I'm rocking a force too

 

[Scott Danforth]

Your motor was sprayed with PPG DAR series of automotive paint in the plant

 

[Faztbullet]

Make sure add a flex agent to paint

 

[TN-25]

If you are talking about spray bombing it, then yes you could. It just won't be anywhere as durable as a catalyzed paint from a spray gun.
If you don't have a spray gun, I have heard of catalyzed paint in a 2-part spray can.

Paint it up like an early to mid-70s Chrysler!

 

[airshot]

Are you painting over the decals ? Paint might make them lift/ curl....

 

[Chris1956]

Strip off the decals, and wet sand the cowling. The Home Despot near me carries marine enamel in qts. White for the Johnny and black for the Merc, in one of those gravity feed spray guns did a reasonable job. New decals should be avail somewhere on the internet.

 

[tphoyt]

Strip off the decals, and wet sand the cowling. The Home Despot near me carries marine enamel in qts. White for the Johnny and black for the Merc, in one of those gravity feed spray guns did a reasonable job. New decals should be avail somewhere on the internet.

I know guys that will use the $15 hvlp gun from harbor freight to shoot primer and then toss the gun. I have had one for years that I choose to clean and it just keeps going and does a fairly good job. I wouldn’t use it on a car but for other stuff it’s just fine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

The purple harbor freight gun is good for about 2-3 cleanings in clear, about another 2-3 cleanings on color, and about 5-10 cleanings on primer

If you use them for varnish, they will last about 12-15 cleanings

Don't soak them in acetone, the plastic knobs melt

 

[flashback]

15 years ago I used silver Rust-Oleum in a rattle can it has sat out in the weather since and though a little dull now still looks good. Fwiw.