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The problem you have is the rusting of the metal and if you just put a clear product on the metal it may still rust, and then you would have a very hard time stopping it.

What you can do is prime the metal with a rust resistant metal primer (oil based) and then topcoat it with a paint that is close to the stainless steel look. I pretty sure you can find one in a spray or maybe a brush on paint that will work for you.

Hope this helps out.