I have a pretty beefed up cooling system for my low compression 400, so during the winter months I'll have trouble even coming up to temp here in South Florida if just cruising around town. It'll build more temp on the highway. Because of where I live, I have a 160 degree hi-flow stat.
I've never really understood how to interpret the temp gauge on the 2nd gen T/As. At least the later ones. I've always assumed the first tick on the gauge represented 160, since that's what's between 0 and 220 which is the middle of the gauge. In the summer months, if I don't have AC on, the needle will either be at or just below that first tick, while in the winter months if it's as low as 65 degrees, it'll be two-three needle widths behind that first tick. Even more if I'm running the heater. I know it's not coming up to temp because even after an hour or so of driving in cold weather, I can grip the radiator hose and it just feels luke warm and has barely built up pressure. I can even rest my hand on the valve cover and not get burnt.
I've considered putting in a 180, but the 160 gives me peace of mind for the summer months because they can be brutal down here.
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1979 Trans Am W72 400/4-Speed WS6 - Starlight Black Hardtop
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