Engine Parts Detailing (paint? no paint?), Your opinions, PLEASE... Options

[kfieler]

Okay... my fuel injectors are out of the car and are being shipped-off for servicing by WitchHunter.

I can't bring myself to put dirty parts back in a car, so in the down-time, I want to clean and prep them for re-installation.

Here's where I need help...

1. What is your favorite method for cleaning 914 parts (such as fuel rails, injector retainers, etc.)?

2. After cleaning them, do I leave them the h*ll alone and stick them back in the car, or should they be shot with some sort of clear-coat?

I am a details-oriented person and would love to "dress-up" the engine as I go. I have contemplated painting parts (or having them powder-coated) - like intake tubes - as I R&R them, but I don't know if that is a big mistake or not.

I am not going for a concourse restoration with this car, so I don't mind making a few cosmetic changes. I don't, however, want to wind-up with a car that looks like a circus clown and become the subject of someone else's future PO story!

Any advise you "pros" can provide to a "newbie" would really be appreciated!

Thanks!

- Keith