1969 383 head gasket question.

[Bad B-rad]

In all the Big Blocks I have ever taken apart(383, 400, 440),if they were factory org engines they always had the Mopar steel shim head gasket.
I was just a thin sliver of steel with some Chrysler part numbers and the penstar logo.

I just took heads off a 1969 383, that I was told was untouched, but it had multi layer head gaskets with the name Fitsgerald in it and some part numbers, not the steel shim I am used to seeing.
So was this engine apart before or did some factory big blocks use that Fitsgerald made head gaskets?
Thanks.

[John_Kunkel]

All factory big blocks had steel shim head gaskets. Fitzgerald was an aftermarket gasket maker.

[Bad B-rad]

Yeah ever Big block Mopar I ever took apart had the steel shim, except this one, that I was told had never been apart.(wouldn't be first time I was lied too, LOL!!)
I have been doing some looking and I think GM used them as factory org gasket long ago.

So then It looks as if for what ever reason,that my heads(906) have been off before, and they used fitzgerald gasket as replacement.
I have not found any obvious reason why it was apart yet,but I would like to know.
Thanks for the info. 

[cdr]

Yeah ever Big block Mopar I ever took apart had the steel shim, except this one, that I was told had never been apart.(wouldn't be first time I was lied too, LOL!!)
I have been doing some looking and I think GM used them as factory org gasket long ago.

So then It looks as if for what ever reason,that my heads(906) have been off before, and they used fitzgerald gasket as replacement.
I have not found any obvious reason why it was apart yet,but I would like to know.
Thanks for the info. 

I can't imagine why a 48 year old engine has had the heads off in its lifetime

[Bad B-rad]

The car in question has 7 thousand something miles on it and I just wanted to do a re-ring and bearing job before I fired it up and start driving it around.(last on the road in 1985) I was told that it was all org. Most of the parts I have checked do come back date coded correct so far.
I have had a few 40-65 thousand mile big blocks that have never been apart(until I got them, to hot rod them up)But most of those engines were parked in yards for years, trucks and some C-bodys,none from hot rods.

The car has a sticker in the engine bay that  says it has some type of California emissions system on it,and that the advance on the distributor should stay unplugged. Maybe they installed the thicker head gaskets to reduce compression??? Because there is no "extra" parts wired in for this "Kit", I think the sticker says its from fresh air products.  I will have to look up some info on that "system"