Sounds like a good question to me. I wanted to do the same thing, but mine was pretty pitted so I said the hell with it.
I guess that I could still spray it with a little Rustoleum or something.
i agree good question i plan on doing the same, i was planingon sandblasting it first to get the crap off of it, mine looks like a giant pice of rust. do they get hot? if so probly just engine paint would work.