Not entirely urban myth. I have seen an engine without a thermostat overheat, when the seal in the waterpump was going bad, and it stopped overheating when the thermostat was put in. We figured out that the pump impeller was sucking in air at the shaft seal and forcing coolant out the overflow. Once you lose enough coolant, the car overheated really bad. It had nothing to do with coolant moving through the radiator too quickly to get cool, though. That really is urban myth. Jim
Definitely look into getting a fan shroud. I'm not 100% sure, but I'd guess that most from 1962 to 1966 shrouds made for the Electra, LeSabre, and Wildcat would work. Do you have a fan clutch and proper fan for heavy duty cooling? If not, it's an easy switch. BTW, I use "Dexcool" long-life coolant. It works well in the hot Louisiana summers. Go with the correct four row core from a reputable radiator shop. Anything else is bringing a knife to a gun fight. :Brow:
