I was just curious, what years of 3.8s are pr0ne to head gasket leaks? I'm just wondering if I need to keep an eye on my '85. It's 30 years old and never been rebuilt. So far things are looking good (no coolant in the oil).
All of our ('83-'88) 3.8s are pr0ne to head gasket leaks. Mine made is 260k before succumbing, but it probably wasn't wise to use it for a performance drive weekend. 3 laps on the skidpad was all it took!
Just keep checking the coolant and oil when getting gas. It may blow tomorrow or never. C'est la vie
I heard the 82-87 were generally not pr0ne to it happening, the 88+ however are the ones that blow as low as 70k miles.
Ford redesigned the heads on the 88 and up 3.8 which drastically increased the chances of the head gasket blowing.
I have had probably at least 5 3.8's 1987 and older, never had a head gasket blow ever. Most were over 200k mile cars. I had one 1989, and the head gasket did blow under 100k miles. Take that for what it's worth. I have found the early 3.8s are pretty reliable as a daily driver.
My wife ordered an 85 and drove it (babied it) for several years and it started with head gasket issues around 75-80k miles. Car was always maintained well, she never pushed it hard.