Joel, do a search on Gibbs penetrant. Just spray or wipe it on and it'll keep the metal from rusting. You can apply a little to a rag and clean off fingerprints,etc. It will darken the metal some. If in the end you don't like it you can use it as a primer and paint right over it. I used it on some old painted headers that I stripped and repainted. Worked beautifully.
BTW - I am no way involved with Gibbs, but the stuff works amazingly!