Got the engs out and want to clean/paint the bilge area.
After reading a few threads on the subject, sounds like Sherwin Williams hi-solids polyurethane was a good choice.
I spoke to the sales rep at the industrial Sherwin Williams store. He wanted to know what coating was already in the bilge.
Did Fountain use polyurethane paint in 1990?

Thx in adv!!

I would guess gel-coat

Two years ago I did a gallon of rustoleum white enamel mixed with hardener from a paint shop. Was cheap, dried rock hard, shines like new, and is fuel proof. I think the paint was $30 a gallon at Lowes, hardener was less than $10 bucks.

Use tin foil to wrap hoses and wires you don't want to get paint on. Faster than tape, and easier than removing the tight spots. Paint away and toss the foil when you are done.

That's a lot cheaper than the S/W paint. They quoted me $180/gal plus another $20 for the hardener.
What kind of surface prep did you do? Any sanding needed to help paint adhere?

The alum foil idea sounds a lot easier than taping everything.

I cleaned with water and a degreaser. Then hand wiped everything with acetone. No sanding.

clean it, wipe it down with acetone and brush on a couple layers of Bilgekote. Bright, shiny white and will look brand new. West Marine - $35qt. You can probably get away with 1qt, no more than 2.

I would abrate the surface no matter what you finish it with.