[DanC]

I have had a 1968 350 Firebird since 1978 and it has always run 200 -210 on the interstate and 10 to 20 degrees cooler in the city. Factory a/c car with all the baffles in place. I tried the cast impeller and clearanced divider plate, aluminum radiator and nothing ever changed.

The 1971 455HO TA I use to have ran 210 on the interstate with the a/c on and 190ish in town with a/c. Non a/c use only made about 10 cooler in town only.

The 1969 428 Bonneville I had I don't know what it ran as it only had an "idiot light".

My current daily driver, a 2012 Silverado runs 210 all the time and the factory electric cooling fans on my 1994 Roadmaster Wagon don't operate until 210 (w/o a/c on) . The Buick FSM states that the fan (1) should come on at 205 -210 (both fans run anytime the a/c is on) .

In my 25 year experience 210 is normal and none of my above mentioned vehicles have ever boiled over. Yes water boils at 212 (atmospheric), but a pressurized system raises the boiling point and "anti-freeze" is also "Coolant" and raises the boiling point. A cooler thermostat rating only affects when the valve is fully open, it has no effect on how hot the engine gets.