Quick fyi, the griddle is another item that ended up in a collection of 30-odd pieces of mostly ordinary CI that has come my way. Some of it came from my mother's house and some came from a friend's basement. I did not purchase it and am not emotionally tied to <most of> it.
I prefer to see the piece through to a good state of cleanliness and usefulness. I don't want to go to extraordinary lengths to make it as perfect as it can be, but a little inconvenience due to time spent improving the griddle's appearance would be fine.