That's probably your best bet...I wipe my bare/plated parts down with a light coat of oil and it works as long as you leave it on there and not wipe too much back off...Yes, it may get dusty or road grime but it will wipe off and it's better than rust...Clearcoated parts look terrible when they start to rust under the clear...It "spiderwebs" under the clear and gives the part an unnatural appearance...