Piston ring gaps on a 87k mile engine

I am posting this for the interested and intrigued. There isn't much on the net regarding in internals of a high mileage engine, let alone stripping and rebuilding.
This is the first time that I have stripped and rebuilt a 355 engine down to the crank ect. Last month I measured the piston ring gaps of all the old rings removed from the pistons and inserted into the respective bores for measurement. The bores are still in very very good condition saying how high the miles are on this engine. FYI the NIKASIL looks perfect.
What struck me was how wide the oil ring gaps were compared to the compression rings. Also how similar the 2nd compression ring gap was to the Top compression ring..
From my experience in rebuilding past engines, I always had the 2nd ring gap slightly wider than the top ring. Also the oil ring always had the smallest gap.
Also if you notice that the second bore has a ring gap of 0.80mm compared to the average of between 0.30-0.40mm.
Question for anyone who knows. How can a piston ring gap be so wide compared to the other rings in the same bore? Factory mistake maybe? How can a ring gap grow when the ring bellow does not? FYI all rings were measured in two seperate parts of there perspective cylinders (20mm from the top and 30mm). Can anyone with knowledge shed light on this?
So for anyone interested and for the record for whomever may search in the future, here they are.

FRONT

Left bank. -- Right bank

Top 0.40mm. --- Top 0.40mm
2nd 0.30mm. --- 2nd 0.30mm
Oil 0.80mm. --- Oil 0.80mm


Top 0.80mm. --- Top. 0.50mm
2nd 0.35mm. --- 2nd. 0.40mm
Oil. 0.80mm. --- Oil. 0.80mm


Top 0.40mm. --- Top 0.35mm
2nd. 0.25mm. --- 2nd. 0.25mm
Oil. 0.80mm. --- Oil. 0.80mm


Top. 0.35mm. --- Top. 0.35mm
2nd. 0.30mm. --- 2nd. 0.22mm
Oil. 0.80mm. --- Oil. 0.70mm

 

What about the ring gaps mate? Why would the oil gaps be that much? Also why would the top ring have a large gap and the 2nd ring bellow be so small? Surly if the coating was so worn would the 2nd ring gap also not be a lot wider than it is? I mean the top ring on #2 is 0.80mm and the 2nd immediately bellow it in the same bore is only 0.35mm.
The bores tolerances all fall within WM specs. Thanks for your input Tbakowsky.

 

I have just looked through my pile of notes and i found the ring thickens measurements.
Also i have a picture of the 0.80mm top ring along side 0.40mm top ring in the bores.
I have marked were the measurements were taken from in red.
The 0.80mm ring was measured via a digital micrometer and was measured in 3 separate places on each ring. The value was 3.40mm in the middle and 3.45mm near the tips.
The second ring with the 0.40mm gap was measured 3.51mm in the middle and 3.55mm towards the tips.
But what took me aback was all the oil ring gaps, and yet the car never burned oil or smoked.
The engine strip was due to me investigating why the oil and water was mixing and had nothing to do with the running of the engine. I had already replaced the engine with a used one i bought. So while i was investigating and was in there i decided to replace all the bearings rings and seals ect. I found some very interesting things during the strip, like washes missing from the oil jets at the bottom of the bores. little things like that made me smile.The cars engine has never been striped sinse it left the factory. Any way i digress.
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No top rings have a smaller gap than the 2nd ring.
Also if you read what I wrote correctly, I said that the bores were checked and are within WS manual specs. The machine shop did this.
Also the 0.80mm is not an anomaly, here's one with a 4.5mm gap, that's 5 times what I have. (see photos) http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355/125234-f355-ferrariad-compression-numbers-found-2.html
It's just that this isn't generally seen because very few strip these engines out side being a pro.

No it's not. I sourced the problem to a perished cylinder seal, which has now been replaced as a set.

Another option bore permited, hone them using a NIKASIL Flexhone. Done very successfully by my self as well as other Ferrari engine builders on here. These pictures are over 5-6 weeks old now, a lot has happend since them. The engine is now rebuilt.

 

Thanks for you constructive input. In the link I posted the very last post was by Rifledriver whom also said that good results can be had using Flexhone on NIKASIL bores. I have also read that another guy on here uses the Flexhone on Nikasil bores and IIRCC he works for Norwood. So yea it's a calculated decision.
Having bought a new set of piston rings, i had to deglaze the bores or the rings would not have taken.
I had to file each ring to the corrects size. Interesting what you said about the piston ring fit from the factory. That makes sense.

 

PM sent Jonny.