Got the lid cleaned, both inside and outside.
As you can see, the porcelain was showing signs of fading with the salt and pepper look.
Having seen photos of members applying Pam to faded black kettles, bringing back the black color, I thought why not try it on this Custom. Once I cleaned all the rust areas, I applied Pam to a small test area. Wow! I was impressed to say the least. It not only brought back the black color but enhanced the yellow/green splatter.
In the sunlight, the splatter really pops.
Guess I got excited when I saw the Pam results as at this point I realized I hadn't cleaned the lid vent or beneath it.
I'm not going to polish the lid vent. I think it looks more original with the #0000 steel wool finish.
@Rub - I got the video you sent me. Until I read your post here, I could't connect the dots. (lol) I will see if any of my local welding shops know of that method. Thanks.