Chevrolet Repair: Rad, poor shape, rad cap

Question
James
Getting back to my 230 6 cyl 64 chev. engine that overheats,I did the following
-changed thermostat
-changed rad cap
-flushed out the rad.
All this has helped a bit. The under the dash water temp. gauge used to maz out at 250,now it hovers at 225.
Question:Is this still too high?
Question: The exhaust from the manifold back is in poor shape-rusted out.I was going to replace it.Could this also be a facto in the overheating? Thanks.

Answer
Your exhaust can make it run hotter under certain conditions.
Yes, this is rather high.
Back in 1964, it was believed that a cooler engine saved gas. Technically, this was true. The engineers in the automotive industry built engines that the cooling level was actually operating at 180 to 195 degrees.
225 would start having serious implications in the operating proficiency of the engine.
Have you had the radiator re-cored? Or, depending on the condition of the radiator, it may be possible to have it rodded.