Thanks for the replies to my other post [1]. Unfortunately due to problems with Google I wasn't able to read them for a while.
But, here's what happened. I took the heads off and had them done. Valve job, seals, etc. The piston looked okay. A little banged up, but no cracks or anything. The guy at the machine shop mentioned the risk of damage to the skirts which would result in piston slap.
So, after putting it back together, I did indeed have a little piston slap. It went away once the engine warmed up, and after driving it a little bit seems to have almost gone away all together. Unforunately, all is not right with the world.
I noticed the warm idle wasn't quite right, so I checked the compression again and sure enough, the damaged cylinder is still down to 75psi. Apparently the compression ring was damaged or something. The whole thing makes me sick.
The engine runs great, with seemingly more power than before. The only sign of trouble is a slight tremble in the idle. I talked to the shop that did the valve job, and they say it'll be about $850-900 ($675 labor + parts) to take it apart and replace the rings on that piston, maybe the piston too. I am really not sure I feel like taking it apart again myself, but I'm not sure if I can swing that either. So I have no idea what to do. How much damage will be done by driving it as is? In a few months the car will be parked for a year while I'm away, so I'm not exactly eager to spend a bunch of money on it only to park it. On the other hand, it's my baby and I don't want to do any more damage to it by driving it.
Ideas? Moral support? Maybe I can drive it off a bridge for the insurance money.
Harry
[1] For those who didn't read it/don't remember, I dropped something down the intake manifold and didn't realize it until after I'd started it up.