The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Ransomes Marquis Mk4A restoration – paint colours and painting advice

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Snakertron

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a bit of advice on painting my Ransomes Marquis Mk4A as part of the restoration.

I’m thinking of painting the engine silver and bringing the rest of the mower back to the correct original green, but I’m struggling to work out the right shade of green to use and the best silver for the engine.

I’d also appreciate some advice on the best type of paint for the job. Is it better to use a brush and hand-paint the parts or spray them from an aerosol?

Does anyone know the correct original green paint colour or a modern equivalent?

What paint would you recommend for the engine?

Which gives the best finish: brush painting or aerosols?

Any tips on preparation, primers or getting a good, durable finish?

I’d like to get it looking as close to original as possible while achieving a nice finish.

Any advice, recommendations or photos of your own restorations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance ☺️ 

Forums

JamesO Sun, 08/11/2026

Hi Snakertron, 

I am restoring a Marquis Mk4 as well, from what I have seen on the forum:

Engine: I have not painted mine, with some elbow grease it can be made immaculate. It is made of aluminium. Brass brushes and spiral brass brushes can clean between the fins. A Dremel with brass brushes can make it really nice. Most of the engine can't be seen under all the cowling. 

I had to get my engine rebored and I used an oversized piston. Have you checked compression? It should be ~70PSi- You may lose some compression after cleaning the inside of the engine like I did. 

Paint: I have seen a few colours recommended, I don't think there is a true answer. TBC RAL6032 is what I plan to paint mine. Aerosols are the best. If you have the means, 2 pack paint is the strongest most long lasting, it resists the ethanol in (sometimes) E5 and (always) E10, so you won't need to worry about splashes, but this may mean taking it to a shop... 

But remember, the carburettor won't resist ethanol, unless you re-engineer and insulate everything from the ethanol, so other paints could be fine so long as your local E5 fuel is ethanol free... 

I have used brass brushes on all the painted panels, to remove the surface rust and most of the loose paint. I then plan to dip the panels in rust remover overnight. I plan to paint it in summer depending on the price a shop charges. I may prime it myself. 

Kind regards,

James