I just did this. I used POR 15 top coat. I went with black but its available in clear spray can. Won't rust or chip.

I used Penetrol on mine. Works pretty well. Do a search for coating bare metal with penetrol.

Joel, do a search on Gibbs penetrant. Just spray or wipe it on and it'll keep the metal from rusting. You can apply a little to a rag and clean off fingerprints,etc. It will darken the metal some. If in the end you don't like it you can use it as a primer and paint right over it. I used it on some old painted headers that I stripped and repainted. Worked beautifully.
BTW - I am no way involved with Gibbs, but the stuff works amazingly!

Unreal, we just painted them with appliance epoxy black. To me clear would look like unfinished water pipe.

Looks great Joel! 2 questions; Where are the holes for spark plugs in the valve covers?

How are you going to mount the mermaid hood ornament?

I hope to see you and the other competitors at DW.
Don

Very cool car!!

The holes are there for the plugs, Joel has white rags stuffed in them, and they are just not showing up.

"Flipper" AKA Joel's mascot will probably get to sit in the front seat, and his trunk Monkey, well in the trunk...

Some nostalgia dragster folks use Remington Oil (gun oil) on the bare chassis metal.

Do any of you have pics of a roll bar done with the ECS rpm product?
I want my roll bar to be satin black, on the youtube videos it looks like the ECS RPM is a dark gray color.

My car isn't done yet. Every time I add another bar or bracket, the last one is already surface rusting. I guess that's what I get for living in NC. I'm going with the opposite thoughts: I know the cage is going to get nicked and scratched, so I'm painting it with Rustoleum purple. If I have to touch up an area or sand down to add something, it's nothing more than a trip to Walmart for some touch up.

I started with the rpm coating. It is pretty easy to apply. First I used a Scotch-Brite pad to remove the surface rust in a few areas where it had formed. Then wiped the whole cage down with wax and grease remover, then started heating it with a heat gun and brushed on the RPM coating. It does not change the way the bar looks. I can't tell were I stopped using it.
This kind of work is hard on my back, so I'm just going to do about a half hour at a time till it's done. I estimate the whole job is going to be about 2 - 3 hours

Sounds good, I might have to try the RPM if I don't do the satin black.

it's clear.

Ok thanks, looked like a gray color in the vids.

After I applied RPM coating, it looked exactly the same as before I applied it.