Thanks for the mention!
This is an excerpt from an email I sent to a potential customer awhile back who is also interested in customizing his MP valve covers and air cleaner. I realize you already have the parts but a lot of this information will be worth reading to you.
"... I know from lots of experience that [MP valve covers have] a heavy paint job and getting it out from the bases of each rib and all the lettering is a VERY time consuming effort. The yellow and black set that you included in your email was almost a $600 job when all was said and done, but he could have saved a lot of money right off the top if he'd talked with me first.
Jeg's and Summit sell those big block MP valve covers in a bare / as-cast "natural" finish (right out of the sand casting) for $106, the black wrinkle finish are $149 and the polished versions are $199. Mopar Performance castings have really gone downhill over the last few years and no matter whether you buy the bare as-cast / natural finish, the black wrinkle or the factory polished version, they ALL need bodywork right out of the box -- sometimes it's not that much and other times it's a LOT. I never know what it's going to take until they're in front of me.
I've customized at least 8 or 9 sets of them over the last year in various colors for other customers; on average they've been running $250 to $500 ... and the big disparity between all of those jobs is solely due to good or bad sand castings directly from the factory and whether they're painted in black wrinkle or not. You see, unlike other powder coating shops, I try to get your metal as close to perfect as I can first; others just blast and color what you present to them as is with all of the defects left intact ... but I don't work that way.
With all the deburring and bodywork they need nowadays to ensure crisp, clean lines and good color separations, I've been recommending to my customers who are buying new parts that they purchase the bare / as-cast finish ($106 from Summit) from the start. Yes, they need some bodywork -- but so do the black wrinkle ($149) and polished ($199) versions -- and what you wouldn't spend on cleaning up the metal will instead be spent in the form of several hours of blasting their heavy black wrinkle paint job off, or blasting off their polishing efforts for the powder work to adhere well. I bill at $25 per hour across the board.
As far as I know right now, the MP air cleaners are only available in the black wrinkle painted finish; the lids also need some bodywork (though not nearly as much as the valve covers) but it takes a few hours to get them blasted bare where I can work on it.
Summing up, I can't really give you a firm estimate without seeing either good pictures of your parts or until they're in front of me. I realize the 'ball park' is really big but unfortunately it's something that I cannot control -- I just don't know what's going to be involved because their castings have been all over the map as far as condition goes.
If you have other questions or want to go over details just give me a call! I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but I'm not going to pull your lariat and tell you they can be done for $200 when it's pretty unlikely that they can't (especially on a multi-color job) unless you get really lucky and end up with great castings ... and sadly we won't know that until they've been ordered and received. I do look forward to working with you and appreciate this opportunity to earn your business."
