Getting a shine on the oily bits

I'm in the process of putting my engine back together after rebuilding a cylinder head. With the head itself now a neat satin black colour and looking smart, I've thought about polishing up the valve cover, hot-rod style. I know it's just an old 90 but that shouldn't mean the engine has to be a grubby mess.

What's the best way of shining up the valve cover? I thought about just using progressively finer grades of wet-and-dry to make the surface smooth. Though I expect it would soon oxidise again. Would a wax polish last long under the bonnet?

Solvol autosol and a polishing mop on a drill. Worked a treat on british motorcycle engine cases for me.

As a possible low-maintenance alternative, I was considering painting the rocker cover. I have some ivory white paint left over from when I did the exterior which might look good. Also some bright red but not sure that would look right.

wire wheel will polish the ali cover

If you want mirror finish, use a cotton wheel on a bench grinder with soap, well actually you need two cotton wheels, one is for removing nicks and smooths it out, the fine one is for polishing, but you get the idea.

You could always go for the crinkle paint finish like on modern engine bits. As long as it fits in the oven that is. Available in spray cans.