I really like a lighter color on the block. Easier to identify possible leaks later if kept clean. The last two I painted just as I would a car only without all that final sanding. Like they said, it must be clean. I then shot a coat of epoxy treating it as a sealer and your chice of top coat. I just asked my paint supplier if he had any misc stuff he was going to throw away. Had a quart of something I could live with after adding more tint. Oh, and that stuff sticks like glue!

David