Getting my kit 4 weeks from now, and after watching The_Compound's videos was thinking about the control arms and other unfinished pieces. After an hour down the rabbit hole I can't find a thread that talks about when to finish them, and in what.

For the first build (and shakedown year) I'm hoping to find a suitable paint rather than powder coating/chroming straight away. Who's found a paint that works well enough. I'd expect powder/chrome to be more durable, but also significantly more expensive (am I wrong?). Goes without saying, but I'm on a tight budget and will improve over time, not going for final fit and finish.

Anyone tested rattle can products to keep the rust away, or enamel products like hammerite?

Oh, and when to do this? trial assembly first, or can I paint, then final assemble? (i.e. are there any instances where there is "tweaking reqd")