1984 T/A 305 v8
questions- did this engine come from the factory with or without gaskets?
If with, were they one piece steel, or one piece gasket material , or 3 pieces gasket material?

 

No Gaskets

 

These cars didn't have them but I'm running them. I hope I don't regret it later...

 

As GT said, the factory used no gaskets.

Best procedure is to file the heads & manifolds flat, and use no gaskets, if possible.

Sometimes when something is too farkled to restore that way, the gaskets can help. More often than not though they're just another potential failure point. In a way they turn maintenance-free manifolds into having one of The Header Problems: the need for monitoring and occasional retightening.

 

My car has only 21000 miles, but I have to remove the intake & exhaust manifolds & the rocker arm covers & the waterpump to refinish. Not one of the previous owners (father & daughter) & the fellow that I purchased the car from dared to take car of the car nor maintain it. I do not expect any warpage of the exhaust manifolds but I will check for trueness. These jobs are for the spring.
Tkx for the information...