Painting valve covers

I work in the automotive industry at the dealership level and my paycheck has taken a beating this year. Instead of getting down about it, I have decided to revamp my Duster's plans to accomodate my budget. Instead of replacing perfectly good parts with brand new aftermarket I am going to refurbish what I have. I started by stripping and painting the longblock and it turned out great. I found a case of Ford red engine paint in my garage so that's what it got! Sure has a lot more pop than the turquoise. next I have a deep sump pan with some dents to hammer out and then it gets painted. Also some OLD Direct Connection chrome valve covers with surface rust. They will be sanding smooth and acid etched before painting. What do you guys think about using some "hammer finish" paint on them? My second choice is black wrinkle. My buddy is going to bead blast my old Torker intake and then I will clear coat it at work with some Sikkens. This whole project should cost me about $20.