You may already know you can get original outboard color paint for a lot of motors at
Use same brand/type of primer as not all primers are compatible with all paints. One exception is the 2-part epoxy primer – I have not seen a paint that it is not compatible with (I haven’t tried it with vintageoutboard paint). The epoxy primer is also a sealer – not cheap, and you need a spray gun, as it doesn’t come in a spray can.
Surface prep is important! If aluminum has sat bare for much time, it needs to be cleaned to get the aluminum oxide off that forms rapidly, especially in high humidity. It’s the stuff that rubs off gray on your fingers. Some use aluminum cleaner made for outdoor air conditioning unit aluminum coils. Some get by with an “etching primer”.
Dave
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