Mike, thanks for the offer but I have to get this taken care of sooner rather than later. So far I haven't gotten any nasty notes through the door, but a visit from the local constabulary informing me of my violation of municipal regulations can't be too far off.... Matt - my guestimate diagnosis matches yours - I missed your string from this summer about the same subject but found it doing a search of this site on cylinder heads. What did you end up doing finally - engine out or just the heads? And what did you end up finding?

I've found a garage with big bays about 40 miles away that will accommodate me, and am booked in on January 3rd. I've got my fingers crossed hoping for a head gasket problem rather than a cracked head. Just in case I've been looking around for "J" heads, but haven't located any so far. Hopefully I won't need them.......

Merry Christmas to you all!