Restoration questions: Paint or vapor honing for heads? Powder coat frame?

[Jessezm]

Ok I need to crowd-source some advice here. I'm in the midst of a frame-up resto on a '72 xs2. The tins are already off to a pro painter. I'm trying to do the rest myself, but here's my dilemma:

The motor doesn't need a refresh, I don't think. It's got 7,600 miles on it. But since I'm going with new paint on the tins, I want the motor to look new, too. I've painted engines before and they have come out looking really good. But I know it won't be "correct." I've heard about and seen the results of vapor honing, but it seems in order to do that, I have to take the motor apart. I seriously don't want to do the bottom end, and I'm fine painting that. But what about the jugs/head? Once I break that down, I'm looking at new gaskets, and taking all the valve train assembly apart, so I'm probably looking at some machine shop work (valve job), and all the other associated costs.

Is it worth all that to vapor hone vs painting the heads? If paint, what is the best to get it closest to new? Or would you just hit it with a major deep cleaning and degreasing? Just curious what people's thoughts are.

And while I'm at it, how about this: The frame is really clean, but it's not perfect. But for a frame-up resto, would it be silly not to go ahead and have it powder coated since I've got it all torn down already? What about "touching up" the trouble spots?

 

[Mailman]

You can make the engine look pretty nice by getting after it with degreaser, soap and water and a plastic bristle brush. I buy el cheapo degreaser from Walmart in their kitchen cleaner aisle .

409 also works good. I cut up old socks into small strips, soak them with that spray and work them between the fins with a thin blade screwdriver. Forty year old aluminum will never look as bright and new as it did when it was new, but to me that's ok. I think as long as it's clean, it's earned the patina.