Those heads weren't just cracked, they had been monkeyed with before and were not fixable. Picking up a used long block this weekend - 50,000 mile engine. Finding just the replacement aluminum heads would cost me as much as buying a block with the heads on it. In addition, I'm not sure what kind of shape my current block is in anyway. It's high mileage and probably shot, too.
Will freshen up the new engine before it goes back in - lifters, valve stem seals, front and rear main seals, oil pan gasket, etc. I'm not tearing it down. So sue me.
I'd just like to get this car back on the road before I'm eligible for Social Security. I'm not restoring a 1957 classic here.