Ford Repair: Leaking head gasket on 97 Windstar, victor reinz, head gaskets

Question
Aloha Dave,
I've just been given a '97 Winstar van w/3.0, the only problem is that it had over-heated and water got into the oil.
The body & interior are in excellent condition and I'll probably replace the engine eventually.
However I'm on a really really tight squeek when I walk budget at the moment and was wondering if I could get away with sending the heads to be re-conditioned and replacing the head gaskets & bolts?
I've read a lot of problems w/the 3.8 head gaskets, are the 3.0's similar?
also,would a Fel Pro or Victor Reinz brand work any better than oem?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo, Garrett  

Answer
It is not common and even unusual for a 3.0L V6 to blow a head gasket.  The 3.8L V6 is almost guaranteed to need a new head gasket at least once in it's lifetime.  If the engine hasn't been run too long with water in the oil, the lower-end may still be okay.  If it is, Yes, you could replace the head gaskets and bolts, and send out the heads.  I would stick with Factory replacement parts. There may be a crack in one of the cylinder heads, and it may be cheaper in the long-run to swap the engine with a used one now, instead making a temporary repair including a cylinder head.

I hope this helps,
Dave