Me Too - last week coming back from the auto Show in Cleveland...
only it happened under heavy boost, and just like you said - no unusual noises, or guage readings except the AEM guage read 0.00 which pretty much tells me that I blew the head gasket - right? I had oil everywhere, but it ran fine on the expressway - It just was a bear to keep idling.
Had a tear in my eye as I was the pictures of your leaving on a truck - too close to home on that one, just towed mine Saturday - looks exactly like my MKIII.
Anybody know what a really GOOD steel gasket is / where to get it / and what ARP stud torques are for the rebuild process?
Also the business about an engine that's able to drive on the expresway at speed, but show no vacuum / boost bothers me greatly - is that even possible? I guess it must be! It does sound more like I destroyed an intercooler hose, but that does not explain the oil bath that the passenger side of the engine got that day...
PS: The AEM Tru-Boost was topped out at 29.2 PSI when she let go - so Yes I was haulin' the mail at the time. I too am looking to go with a 57 Trim rebuilt CT26, I am running an HKS Fuel-Cut Defencer, 500ccInjectors, and the AEM boost controller along with a NASA-Lewis product in both oil and fuel to prevent detonation, overheat, and increase lubricity at high RPM/Boost. I have a 4"Stainless cat-back system, and a 3.5" stainless downpipe.