its beginning . . . . i hope !

[tom'72]

What about a clear coat of paint after the polish?

clear coat will hold only a short time and then start to peel off, the surface is just to smooth for it to stay on.
I use a thin layer of silicone spray to protect the wheels over winter but the key to keeping them in top shape is cleaning them at least once a week and use a good product (we have Unipol or Belgom over in Belgium) to keep them shiny.