I used a product called POR15 on mine. It's a little more work than normal paint and you definetly don't want to get it on you unless you don't mind having black paint on you for a week or 2 but it's tons better than regular paint. After I did mine I han hammer on it and not chip it. It eliminates rust also.
Oh another thing about it is it stinks bad and can give you a major headache and probably not good at all for you so make sure and have very good ventilation when using it.