Notice the holes. This was my shroud

 

Right, I understand that, but the hoses in the factory orientation mostly block them.

 

i get what you are saying. They are mainly still blocking but I just ordered a replacement and probally going back with the 180 genuine or I'll swap the locations back around so no cutting needed

 

I live in North Jersey just outside NYC

 

Those are my numbers as well.
This morning was 63 degrees ambient, didn't seen anything over 183, and that was after sitting at a light for a few minutes.

Last week when it was 95-102 ambient, I saw nothing but 188-194. Highway speeds didn't help and my thermostat is in the same place as your first picture. I run no bleeder.

 

05May2015.-Plastic filler neck Dorman part number 902-305, $14 at Walmart.com; force inserted into hoses as it is meant to be used for 1 3/4" hoses. There is other suitable types, as part PRW 5292272. Some shroud plastic shaving underneath needed to nest the contraption lower for hood clearance. $2 Ninety degree in-line thermostat housing from a random boneyard find with no bypass hose. $6 thermostat is a 180 degree generic from AutoZone store.

 

That should make a difference. Looking at your pictures there looks like there's already several square inches of gap. That's a lot more airflow being diverted than it seems in relation to the air flow coming through the radiator. A radiator has, roughly guessing, 25% open area. That means even if it's 24"x18" (another rough estimate; can't remember exactly) making an area of 432 sq inches, then that's an open area of 108 sq inches, roughly. Looking at your pictures I'd guess you have 6-8 sq in of open space cut out. That's almost 6-8% of air flow not being pulled through the radiator and therefore not cooling anything.

There are of course other factors that come into play, but that is a good rough estimate.

Do you remember what you got the thermostat housings off of? I don't have any pick and pull yards around.

 

Do you remember what you got the thermostat housings off of? I don't have any pick and pull yards around.[/QUOTE]

I wanna know the same. That looks a lot easier

 

Sorry, fellows. The engine I pulled the 90 degree thermostat housing out of was out of the vehicle, there were rows of engines on shelves and lined on the floor. A walk trough them easily spotted it. Vaguely remember either a Pontiac, Nissan... 4 cylinder, front wheel drive about 15+ years old plain Jane. Had a longer neck than needed, hacked it shorter. Drilled two 3mm holes to the thermostat, barely visible in the picture.
An auto parts store with a friendly clerk should be able to pick one from their pictorial catalogs.
Or check among hundreds at
----> http://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearc...tart=50&num=25
Or go to the store with a print of the following actual photo :

From the web :
----> https://www.mustangsunlimited.com/pr...g+Cougar_S.jpg

----> http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/006...g?v=1296226689

Mine :