Aluminum Oxidation Prevention
I don't think there is anything you can do about it except to put something on the ground to block the moisture.
it, then have it anodized (or, maybe buy
somebody else's pan and do it, if you
feel like driving meanwhile). A good
anodizing job will put on a nice, thick
layer of the natural oxide which is
pretty tough.
Anodizing is within the means of the garage
hobbyist; you just need sulfuric (battery)
acid, a DC power supply, a big enough tub,
and some spare time. There are plenty of
places to find instructions on the Web.
After you grow the oxide coat, you then
boil it in water for a bit to "seal" it,
and you're done.
This is a way harder coating than anything
you can spray on, chemically inert, and
good enough to take weather and grit for
years.
Of course, this probably means a fair bit
of work, to get it off / swapped in the
first place.
For simple protection I think maybe
something like a Hammerite silver paint
(they sell both the "hammered" (orange-
peel-looking) and smooth versions) might
be the ticket. The Hammerite has a lot of
hard solids (microscopic glass particles,
I think) and the stuff is pretty hard/tough.
Clear coats are rarely either, as they can't
have any significant fillers.
Or Chassis Black... can't go wrong with black.






