Outboard Motor Cowling
- Thread starter shanker
- Start date
Appreciate them as they make the motor a less attractive target for those who might abscond with your motor.
Ah, yes. The much coveted "Patina of Use."those aren't scuffs and scratches, that's "patina". it makes the motor more valuable.
This. Who bloody cares? What matters is under the cowling and in the fuel system.
Thinwater, it is important to me, hence the post. if it isn't to you, simply move on.
I think the point most of are making is that there isn't much to do to repair them, so we learn to accept them. The cowlings are plastic and they get scratched. It might be possible to polish or buff out small scrapes but once the scratch or scraped goes below the finish, there isn't much you can do.
If the appearance of the cowling is important to you, then the best practice would be to try to prevent the scrapes and scratches from occurring. Investing in a motor cover might help. Being careful when moving the motor will certainly help. However, when lifting and moving an awkwardly shaped, sometimes oily, object of 60 to 100 pounds in weight, stuff happens and scratches occur.
Sailors don't worry much about theft, because sailboats don't get stolen. Outboards do. When a thief has the chance to take an outboard, the one that looks nicer will get swiped first because it will be easier to resell.
I suppose, if the scrapes and scratches are more than you can accept, the one effective solution is buying a new cowling when that occurs.
It just gives the motor character, a sign that it is kept because it works good and not for how it looks. As anyone other that has dunked the powerhead under a wave knows that a good seal must be maintained for a few seconds to prevent the ingestion of water.
I bought new decals for mine about 15 years ago. They are still on top of the bookcase in the office collecting dust. I was going to repaint the cowling and reinstall the decals but maybe not. As it gets older it becomes less and less important.
If the appearance is that important buy a new one
If the appearance is that important buy a new one
The magic erasers I've seen are abrasive and will take the gloss off a really shiny surface.
They are a light abrasive. Perhaps process such as buffing and polishing might work on painted plastic?
What type of cowling is it? Assuming it's a rigid, painted cowling, care for it like a car finish.
Automotive rubbing compound, then polishing compound for light scratches. A deep scratch or gouge can be filled and painted, if you want it to look new. You can go to an auto paint supplier and get a pretty good color match and re-paint the cowl, if necessary. Just depends on how good you want it to look, how much game you have, and/or how much you want to spend. If you don't paint, a paint shop will probably give you a price on it. Getting the paint mixed, buying primer, base, clear and reducer could go over $100, so let that be your benchmark if yours is a real mess and you go to a shop for pricing. If you buy paint, take the cowl to the paint store. Often, they will give advice on the best paint system to use.
I keep mine pristine, and have only had to polish out some fine scratches with auto polishing compound, where someone with a sandy bathing suit sat on it...
Automotive rubbing compound, then polishing compound for light scratches. A deep scratch or gouge can be filled and painted, if you want it to look new. You can go to an auto paint supplier and get a pretty good color match and re-paint the cowl, if necessary. Just depends on how good you want it to look, how much game you have, and/or how much you want to spend. If you don't paint, a paint shop will probably give you a price on it. Getting the paint mixed, buying primer, base, clear and reducer could go over $100, so let that be your benchmark if yours is a real mess and you go to a shop for pricing. If you buy paint, take the cowl to the paint store. Often, they will give advice on the best paint system to use.
I keep mine pristine, and have only had to polish out some fine scratches with auto polishing compound, where someone with a sandy bathing suit sat on it...
Please, we're just joking. Forums are, in part, for fun. No offense was intended. I certainly did not intend to irritate. I apologize.
In part, several of us are trying to encourage you not to worry about the small stuff. It's better to just enjoy sailing.
In fact, there are quite a few cruisers who intentionally "uglify" their motors with spray paint to make them less theft worthy. That much is true. But restoring a cowling shouldn't be too difficult. A Magic Eraser sounds like a good start, and taking it home for paint is simple enough. I have replaced the gaskets, when the fit goes.
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