Are there any roughly stock thickness (about .02x” on a late 80’s/early 90’s SBC if I’m not mistaken) head gaskets out there that you guys have had good luck with, especially without freshly machined surfaces (I’m not pulling the motor for a head swap)?

Funny thing, I have 2 cars that I have to swap heads on soon, both of which I’d like to keep the head gaskets about stock thickness and both of which will see some hard use/boost. In one case it’s getting aluminum heads in the other it’s getting iron heads.

The only 2 that I know of that are even close are the victor/clevite 77 nitroseal gaskets that are around .026” thick and the fel pro coated steel shim gaskets that are supposed to be around .015” thick, neither of which I could find much if any info about people running them in more demanding applications.

GMPP .028" composite head gasket. Got them in my mild supercharged 383. Destroyed 2 sets of pistons due to detonation but the gasket never gave out.

I don't think there's anything in between the thin steel shim types (.016-ish) and the skinniest composites (.026-.028).

I am also running the .028" GM composite gaskets. No real results to post other than they haven't blown out with very very low miles and low boost.