guys, i need a little assistance.  my '78 seems to run a little warm.  temp gauge goes up to about 200 while i am driving it, even on the interstate.  now, this car has 80-82 front and rear bumpers and also the hood.  there are no holes in the hood for ventilation.  do i need to purchase a new hood for it or ???????

Is that "in traffic temp" or what?   What temp were you getting previously?   Need more info.

200 degrees is about normal. When I had my '78 it would stay anywhere between 190-210 degrees.

Just to make sure you don't have a problem, make sure the belts are tight, the hoses are good, the coolant level is at the proper level and the proper ratio of water to coolant, the radiator cap is good and the system holds pressure.

It wouldn't hurt to add a bottle of Water Wetter to the system as well.

that temp is in traffic or on the interstate.  since i have had the car, it will get up to that temp as i drive it

ok, cool   what is water wetter?  also, if i sit in traffic or a drive thru, the car

Water Wetter is a coolant additive you can buy at Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Advance Auto, etc. It chemically coats the metals in the system to transfer heat faster to the coolant.

Is your problem recent...like since the weather has been so hot and humid? If so, your car may be suffering from vapor lock and fuel percolation, boiling off before it gets down into the carburetor. Since you're saying it occurs when sitting, there's little airflow going through the radiator.

If it's vapor lock or percolation, I'm not sure of what your answer may be. Maybe someone else here can be of more help on that.

ok, thank you very much for the info.  i will purchase some of that.  why would they produce a hood with no ventilation?  sounds kind of silly.

it is an aftermarket air cleaner.  i do not have the original.  will that make a

Mine was running a high temperature until I replaced the heads. Also, adding an electric fan to pull some outside air into the radiator will help when sitting in traffic and not getting the airflo .