Any creative ideas to protect the finish on colored anodized parts?

[TIME MACHINE]

I'm buying a whole lot of bling for my truck. All of the aluminum hop ups that I can get my fat fingers on.

Are there any ways to protect the colored finish from scrapes? I hate to install all of this beautiful purple aluminum only to have road (or rock!) rash right away.

I know that there isn't anything that is going to protect it completely, but how about minimizing the damage?

Clear lacquer?
Clear nail polish?
Clear Enamel?

[Odd-M]

How about shelf queen?

[EeePee]

Clear packaging tape or saran wrap.

Maybe a shower cap, upside down, with the tires poking through?

[Phins Fan]

Your typical Anodize - nope. Not unless you keep it on a shelf its whole life.

You can look at having them hardcoat anodized but there's 2 issues with that. 1) the hardcoat is darker and denser in color so your final color will be darker and denser shades of said color. B) the hardcoat will wear better against the rocks but lacks "blunt force" strength And will likely chip during a hard collision with rocks.

The long and short is there is no protection

[TIME MACHINE]

Originally Posted by Phins Fan

Your typical Anodize - nope. Not unless you keep it on a shelf its whole life.

You can look at having them hardcoat anodized but there's 2 issues with that. 1) the hardcoat is darker and denser in color so your final color will be darker and denser shades of said color. B) the hardcoat will wear better against the rocks but lacks "blunt force" strength And will likely chip during a hard collision with rocks.

The long and short is there is no protection

Thanks Phins Fan. That was exactly what I needed to hear. I was thinking that would be the case, but hoping I was missing something.

[RockBiter]

I thought of getting Orange tool dip for mine but that defeats the purpose of the shine although I'm 100% positive it will preserve em.

[Blind]

you can get clear plasti-dip in either a can to dip stuff in/use a brush with or a spray can.

it will very much protect the parts depending on how thick you apply it, and once it gets damaged it peels off with no residue and can be re-applied over and over.

[StomperCrawler]

Lacquer?