Yeah, I've done it. It is beautiful and has largely remained so. However a couple points.
You don't use epoxy primer on the aluminum. You have to use aluminum primer. That etches into the aluminum, and provides the base for the paint primer. Interthane Plus, as I recall, has its own primer. Interthane Plus (which I used) is also obsolete now. Interlux has a new paint that allegedly does not have the defects of Interthane Plus (and there are defects - and those defects tick me off). The paint primer has to go on an hour or so after the aluminum primer goes on (as I recall). For the spars you do need a very tough paint (like Interthane Plus or Awlgrip) because of lines and metal things that bang and rub against it. Do not use softer Interthane Brightside or its Pettit equivalent even though they are easier to apply and cheaper.
Make sure you take all fittings off the mast before you paint. If you are going to do it, do it right.
All screws you return to the mast must be coated with anti corrosion cream. Otherwise you are in for a never ending battle with chemical reaction between the aluminum and the stainless steel screws/bolts. Without the cream, the screws will freeze to the threads. The threads will become corroded, and eventually the threads in the mast will break loose.
Put all electrical wires inside the mast into a PVC pipe, 1 1/4 or 1/1/2 ID. That keeps the wires from banging around and, if you have an internal halyard, keeps the halyard from rubbing against any of the wires.. Secure the pipe to the side of the mast with aluminum rivets (I used six, two near the base of the pipe, two in the center 10' up, and two at the top (20'). Do not use screws, because the threads in the PVC will pop eventually, and you'll have a pipe banging inside your mast.
Screw the sail track using the existing #8 screws (as I recall the size). If they are stripped, you can go up to #10 and the sliders will still go over the screw head. Use the #10 screws regardless at the bottom of the sail track because the end takes an inordinate amount of force where those first two or three screws are located. And don't forget the anti corrosion cream.
Pay particular attention to the screws that hold the mast head casting on to the mast, and that hold the forestay bracket. The originals did not have the anti corrosion cream and the 1/4 bolts did not hold tight. I replaced them with 1/4" bolts tightened with lockwashers and nuts on the mast interior.
When you do this, you might want to increase the lights on the mast - such as putting on a mast head light, and a foredeck down light. Forespar makes a great combination fitting downlight (one end pointing down) and a 3/4 height mastlight, 120 degrees, subsstitute for the Pearson (Perko) light that goes where the original Perko 3/4 mast head light went.
Also, now is the time to rework the antenna wire, and any masthead instrument wires as well.
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