LMAO!
yeps i know that feeling, ppl are always scared to death of hurting my car :lol:
i think once you own a mk3 you never own anything else
as my personalised plate says
SUPRRA
anything else is just transportationg
with the head gasket, make sure she doesn't overheat too much etc, you don't wanna warp that head
new gasket + arp head studs (gasket can be either hks bead type metal head gasket or a toyota genuine one)
if you get arps torque it to 82ft lbs
if you get standard toyota bolts torque to 72ft lbs
make sure the block face is cleaned and checked for any bowing or warping also and make sure there isn't any pitting in the block face
take the head to a reconditioner and get it rebuilt, valve seals etc and make sure it hasn't gone soft or warped and get it cleaned up and milled/skimmed if necessary
replace any old broken hoses you find, new water pump, radiator flushed (by radiator company), thermostat, radiator cap, new seals for cams and valve covers
basically as long as the engine is cleaned/prepped properly and torque the bolts down to the new specs (72 or 82ft lbs) you should be good to go
do a compression check on her (warm) at some stage and make sure you have good compression, if it's a bit low you may want to save up a few more pennies and just wack new rings and bearings while you're at it
oh yea... if you do use a metal head gasket the block face requires a mirror finish in order for metal gaskets to seal
good luck and nice to have ya round