on the bright side I can definitly feel the powergains from my new intake. it seems the old cast iron one was the plug in my power system. the car screams!

 

well a 180 tstat just begins to open at 180 should be fully open at 200.

But if its 60 out and you have 180 lower rad temp then yeah its too high. Ill check mine out and get some real numbers for you (im sorta guessing)

What does the temp gauge do on the freeway when you are moving does it even get hot then?

What about that fan shroud?

 

Yeah, if your barreling down the freeway and the temp is nice and in the middle of the gauge (more or less), the radiator is working fine. Normal temperature is unfortunately relative, you should be seeing in the under 210 range at idle. Don't forget that a pressure cap increases the boiling point of the coolant. If your temp is OK going down the road, you need to look into the fan's performance and the possibility of needing a fan shroud. You did check that your timing isn't retarded, right?