What colour to paint engine bay ?

[Nickhlx]

Just wondered what colour to paint the engine bay on a semi-trad ? I thought white to give as much light as possible, then wondered if it would look hideous after a week or two, then red... then a dark colour but would I find anything I had dropped... then thought I would ask those who have tried various options before ...

 

So what colour is a good compromise ?

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

[Gary Peacock]

Machine grey is fairly good it's the colour that lathes etc in engineering shops used to be painted.

[Ex- Member]

I went for this Yellow, nice and bright, If you drop nuts or bolts, they're easy to find.

 

 

A popular colour in a boat yard i was in was the Green coloured industrial Floor paint.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2009 by Julynian

[Smelly]

I went for this Yellow, nice and bright, If you drop nuts or bolts, they're easy to find.

 

 

A popular colour in a boat yard i was in was the Green coloured industrial Floor paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that bilge paint? I need to do mine soon but do indeed have bilge paint but a more accessible colour appeals...

[David Schweizer]

That pale cream looks nice, however I plumped for light grey which also looks fine, shows amy unwanted dirt, and it is easy to find abnything you have dropped under the engine.

 

I was quite lucky in being able to get hold of a large tin of Finnegan's Hammerite Smooth Finish Paint, which resists high temperatures and is also oil, water, and diesel resistant when cured. It is very shiney which makes cleaning it very easy.

Edited February 18, 2009 by David Schweizer

[johnjo]

Mines white, most engine holes will stay clean, much depends on you keeping it that way and no mishaps.

 

The yellow looks nice though.

 

The lighter the better, easier to find dropped items, more light and you'll soon see if your mechanics have developed a leak.

 

Edited to add. Snap!

Edited February 18, 2009 by johnjo

[Ex- Member]

Is that bilge paint? I need to do mine soon but do indeed have bilge paint but a more accessible colour appeals...

 

No standard external gloss from B&Q Underneath is the same colour in a cellulose based paint on top of a couple of 2 coats Grey primer, on a couple of coats of Red primer

 

I do have a habit of cleaning the engine room regularly is quite easy though when being so spacious, trickier on a nb

[Smelly]

No standard external gloss from B&Q Underneath is the same colour in a cellulose based paint on top of a couple of 2 coats Grey primer, on a couple of coats of Red primer

 

I do have a habit of cleaning the engine room regularly is quite easy though when being so spacious, trickier on a nb

 

Think I'll stick to the bilge paint... thought it looked a bit spacious!

[Nickhlx]

No standard external gloss from B&Q Underneath is the same colour in a cellulose based paint on top of a couple of 2 coats Grey primer, on a couple of coats of Red primer

 

I do have a habit of cleaning the engine room regularly is quite easy though when being so spacious, trickier on a nb

 

 

I like the yellow ! Thanks for the pics - they were great !.... trying to keep the colours bright and vibrant (for those cold wet winter evenings )

 

Nick

[Ex- Member]

What makes it so spacious is the removable inner decking in Green. The whole lot can be removed in 6" planks to access the engine bay, when fully covered they run accross the rear hatch doors, this is where we stand to operate the tiller if it's a bit chilly, the engine heat keeps you warm especially when you close the rear hatch doors.

 

Edited February 18, 2009 by Julynian

[stripey]

Gotta be grey, no question!

[churchward]

Mine is a light/mid grey as in the International paints Danbolin bilge paint grey.

 

I think any light neutral colour is going to be OK so you don't make yer engine 'ole too dark and you can't find things when you drop them.

[Neil TNC]

I went for this Yellow, nice and bright, If you drop nuts or bolts, they're easy to find.

 

 

A popular colour in a boat yard i was in was the Green coloured industrial Floor paint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's a nice stern, looks very familiar.

I went for light grey...but then that is the base colour of Earnest. Did I start a trend in having different colour weed hatches? I went for blue, as a warning there is water under it.

(Well actually I had a lot of blue paint left over from Beatty)

[nbtafelberg]

Mine is painted RADDLE RED (thats Phil speights colour name) otherwise known as Red Oxide.

 

I used floor paint but it takes 5 days to go off.

[lazyboy]

Light / Mid grey contrasts very nicely with whatever colour your engine happens to be

[Ex- Member]

Did I start a trend in having different colour weed hatches?

 

I thought it was an obvious thing to do, not that i had seen it done before. My thought was if we let other people use the boat it was an easy way of pointing out what it was for. It does look give a break from all yellow as well imo. I do like some colour in a boat too, all wood and dull or dark colours can be a bit tediuos IMO.

 

That's a nice stern, looks very familiar.

 

Yep the slipper R&D

[sociable_hermit]

White is very useful for detecting leaks and finding small vital components you've dropped in the bilge.

 

Cream is classier - innit - and still enables you to find everything. Plus it looks particularly nice if offset with some green detailing - on the weedhatch, for example. Southern Railway station colours!

 

Mine's white at the moment and will stay that way until the engine needs to come out, because there's no way I can reach all of it and a patchwork paint scheme would look daft.

 

If we go down the route of using weedhatch function to determine colour, I'm happy with green for weeds. Blue is a bit optimistic! But perhaps silver would be best, for shopping trolleys?

[Ex- Member]

I'm happy with green for weeds

 

You know i never painted it Green for that reason, wish I had now It just so happened I had this left over from the colour our lorries are painted in

[Pretty Funked Up]

Has anyone tried that hammerite stuff that dries a silvery - metallic grey?

Thought that might be worth a go.

[Odana]

Pink

[FadeToScarlet]

Don't go for black. I spent nearly 5 hours cleaning the engine bilge the other day, but it looked just as horrible afterwards as it did before I started!

[Nickhlx]

Don't go for black. I spent nearly 5 hours cleaning the engine bilge the other day, but it looked just as horrible afterwards as it did before I started!

 

 

Thanks to all for the comments... I have decided to go for a light grey bilge paint being a compromise between "suitability for the purpose" and being light so to keep the light levels up when hunting for bits or working around the engine...

 

The painter guy recommended I stick with a "bilge paint" as it would "last longer looking better"... so I took his advice and with as light a colour a possible...

 

Thanks again,

 

Nick

[John Orentas]

I opted for light green, but I think it is the shade that is important, as others have said you need to be able to see a washer that has been dropped.. I suspect white would look a bit naff once it has got a bit grimy.