How many Kms has your car done now Slim?
My head gasket blew between No 4 cylinder and a water jacket at 198000kms.
At this point in time, don't be too concerned about the head being cracked, as i would be pretty sure that it will just be your gasket. The U13's are not renowned for cracking heads but with the age of our cars, gaskets do let go.
For safety sake, don't drive your car around... If you run it dry of coolant, you are definately running the risk of cracking the head. Or, if the cylinder fills up with coolant overnight, when you go to start the engine in the morning you could hydraulic lock the cylinder, causing damage to pistons / bearings etc.
I had my head taken off, shaved, crack tested and fully reconditioned, and had the car all put back together for a total of around $1300. I know exactly what they did and i know that it was done properly, not just slapped back together.
Dan.