aloha,
i ported mine and i polished the outside like glass when i was done.
1.i ported from the outside of the opening into the lip where the butterflies seat,do not go further in.
2.i ground off the back of the butterfly screws,they stick out pretty far on mine.
3.the big tunnel in the upper left side of the t-body(PCV),filled with liquid weld,let dry,drilled 1/4 inch hole all the way threw.and smoothed the front side into the 'cone'.
4.polished the outside from 120 grit sand paper up to 2000 grit,useing mothers polish on the last grit.looks like crome.
i dont know if it made a difference in horsepower,but with my other intake mods,the air feels like its charged right at the t-body,so when you hit the gas the throttle response is much crisper,and the look is nice if you polish too.check out this site if that doesnt make sense.
www.ls1howto.com .thats the guide line i followed,sinse its off the car,polishing is a must.good luck.Todd.l