Reply to "Compression too high?"

Steve, if those pistons you have are forged, they can successfully be run with as much as 0.005" clearance- often done with thinwall Clevelands by cylinder honing rather than boring. Cast or cast/hypereutectic need much less clearance since such pistons often have steel struts cast inside to control the heat expansion. Someone should look at the underside of the pistons to see if the small dome is hollow or solid; I've seen them both ways. The piston mfgr mark & model number should also be there since its not visible on the tops. That will define a cast vs a forged piston.

If there's enough meat, the dome can be machined off to lower compression. Cheaper than another $500 set of pistons. Alternatively, use a thick composite head gasket. Your builder can advise you on what's available and how much it will change the C.R. on your particular engine combo.

You're going to quite a bit of trouble for a car that will be sold when completed. Or have you changed your mind? If so, congratulations!