car running hot

Actually you will be quite suprised to know that usually the stangs run about 200º degrees. When i first got my stang, it was COMPLETELY bone stock and ran at 200º. But then I added a K&N, flows, put better oil in it. got a nice tune up with the spark plugs, advanced the timing, got plug wires and the works and my 1990 5.0 ran around 180º all the time. Occasionally on the freeway my car would go up to 200º too. My car never surged though. When I first got it it would sway from about 195-210 all the time, and i never had a problem I noticed the lack of power when it ran hot, but there were times when it ran 210 all the time. And I noticed an oil filter and oil change fixed it. Plus i did go from normal synthetic oil that the person drove it before me used to redline synthetic. it really just depends on how many miles you have on the car and all. But 200º is not bad. i posted a thread awhile ago worried too that 210º was bad and many people on this site said that some stangs got up there that weren't maintained. it sounds like everything should be ok man.

what temp. does your thermastat open. i have a 160 in mine and a 3 core alum radiator and my needle stays at 160 always. if the thermastat is good it can be the fan clutch.

if you are using the stock gauge to make any determinations, you need to get a real gauge. at least for the short term hook up a real gauge and see what the temps really are.

as said, iron heads can withstand some higher temps (than alum heads).

good luck.