I got the car back with a blown motor so it could have been overheated. I trust this guy, been using him for years and he does a ton of work so i just go by what he says. I was not expecting him to tell me that but he did. I'm not a fan of cometic gaskets either. The more i think of an IPP stage 1 motor the more i think i might just bite the bullet and go that route if they will accept what i have as a core.