thanks for the advice
ive got all the gaskets from Ford (it was a bit of a wait to get the fel-pro kit up here without payin a fortune for frieght), ARP head stud kit, and im gonna suck all the oil outta the holes as best as I can
strangely enough, there was no sign of headgasket failure, yet there was definatly coolant leaking from the seam between the block and the head....