I have an alert set up on rockauto.com for closeouts.
If anyone is planning on intake porting this seems like a good deal: FEL-PRO MS96384 Plenum Gasket kit for $25.79 which is at least half price off parts house pricing. rock auto is almost always the best price on any part and the closeout deals are dirt cheap. Maybe it's helpful... maybe not.
RockAuto Auto Parts

 

I have read some negative reviews of Fel-Pro, so I stick with OEM.

 

I can understand that but I've never been an OEM guy except for t-belt replacement parts. Felpro has some brand issues. Felpro had a great rep at one time. Then they seemed to go through some QC issues. I haven't heard anything negative on them in a long time. If OEM was perfect we wouldn't be replacing our airbags or reading tech bulletins. I've used Felpro gaskets a few times in the last few years and haven't had any fitment issues or leaks. I don't think I'd trust Felpro 100% with anything under the valve covers but for anything else it doesn't worry me to use them. I'd take Victor-Reinz as well as OEM for anything else although some people think Felpro makes better headgaskets than most OEM gaskets.
Anyway, I'm not pushing a product, just thought somebody might be interested in some deals. I found some Moog suspension parts on clearance. I definitely trust their quality. But they're owned by the same corporation that owns Felpro.

 

The only Felpro stuff I have ever used was when I repaired the lower intake manifold gasket repair on an Olds Alero back in 2009. The LIM gasket kit (FEL-PRO #ms98003T) was the recommended set to go with at the time and it is still holding up to this day.

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-tal...repair-391068/

More Information for FEL-PRO MS98003T

Otherwise, it's my preference to use OEM when replacing parts on my 6 speed.

I used the Moog inner/outer lower control arm bushes back in 2009, as well, and they did not even last a year before splitting. Went back to OEM just to be done with it and they are still in great shape; although, the Moog front/rear endlinks are fine and holding up well.

https://acurazine.com/forums/tires-w...ration-740248/

Hopefully soon, I will be having the LUK OEM replacement clutch kit and DM flywheel installed. Got those from rockauto for well under $400 awhile ago.

 

There you lol. Some people will use nothing but Moog suspension/steering parts. I guess the bottom line is that you just never know until you know. There are some jobs you don't want to do twice... okay there's no jobs you want to do twice but I used Felpro gaskets when my GM 4.3 developed the dreaded intake manifold corner corrosion leak. That truck is still going strong at over 300K miles.
Good info in your thread
I need to find the intake runner porting thread and see who did it right. I read a post here recently by a member who was talking about going as big as he could go. I don't know this intake well at all but I know when that on most cars, when you're porting an intake runner (or exhaust ports or valve shrouding or combustion chamber or anything) you don't just go as big as you can go.Engine builders I've talked to seem to focus more on velocity and uniformity.
Gasket matching and cleanups on intake manifolds I'm comfortable with although w/o porting the heads I'm not sure there is any benefit. Head porting is kind of an art and probably best left to someone who is good. And knows the engine he's working on. I would guess these heads are pretty good from the factory?