Don't coat it, don't wrap it, just have a guy who can weld stainless steel on standby.
If you're concerned about spool, just switch to a WRX/STi crossmember, header, and uppipe. You'll also need to replace the water neck or slightly modify the header- you'll see how when you go to put it on, it's not difficult.
The turbo manifold bolts right on to all the EJ dual-port motors.