leaving metal natural on parts

[XXXGoldL34M20]

When i restore parts that are supposed to be just raw natural cast metal, i grab a clean rag and dip it into a small tin of dull clear coat.
Rubbing it in by hand gives the raw cleaned metal a nice protective coating without the mess or over spray. Lasts a long time too.

Even after years if any rust returns you can lightly sand the rust spot with a hand held sponge sander and re-apply the clear coat to make it look good again with a quick touch up.

I live in a fairly harsh climate. I use winter tires on designated steel rims during the winter season. Many years ago I started spraying the winter rims with Fluid Film and to this day their is no rust on those rims. When I pressure wash the grime off the rims in the spring the oily shield from the Fluid Flim remains untouched.