Ford Repair: running hot..., radiator hoses, fan radiator

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
1982 Ford Mustang GT 302HO 5.0L 4 speed. Car has run great, but recently it developed a small problem. The temp guage normally runs 2/3 up and the other day I happen to notice it rising to where it pegged itself on hot. I thought the coolant was low and added some, not much. It seemed to ease the guage slightly. Then I changed the thermostat to oem 190 degree stat. Seemed to solve the problem when just before I took it for a 15 mile drive and on the way back it rose up to near hot, but not pegged...almost. I shut it before it remained there too long. Coolant is up, no leaks, new thermostat. What am I missing here?
Thanks for your ideas,
Mike

ANSWER: Could be a lot of things-- bad cooling fan, radiator plugged, water pump failing, head gasket or cracked head, or an incorrect temp. gauge.  If it overheats while driving that would rule out cooling fan.  Head gaskets "usually" consume some coolant and cause hard starting after the vehicle sits awhile.  Even a bad radiator cap could make it run hot-- make sure the radiator hoses are hard to squeeze when the engine is hot, if not, the cap is probably bad.  Hard to diagnose cars I can't see, but at least now you have a few things to go on.  Hope this helps,
Jason

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QUESTION: I appreciate your reply,
I have a new radiator,water pump, thermostat, fan clutch etc and coolant looks good. I'm going to change the thermostat again and replace it with a 160 degree(rather than the oem 195) thermostat. Aside from the overheating problem, I think 195 is a little high to run an engine normally. I believe the old one was 180 maybe, but that's what oem was given to me was 195. Any problems with going with a cooler thermo? I've heard pros and cons and seems to be a preference thing with gearheads. Still, I am skeptical. I'll replace the thermostat and replace the radiator cap and flush the system. If it still does not cure the problem then I am probably experiencing a head gasket going bad, although there is no tail pipe smoke. Would you agree with this assessment?
Thanks for your input,
Mike
ANSWER: Sounds like you've covered all the bases. Going to a cooler thermostat on your car should be just fine, although it may not pass emissions if you're in a state that requires inspections.  I think you're on the right track, let me know what you find.
Jason

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QUESTION: Ok, thanks I will.
Going to change it tonight if the rain will stop. I'm in Central NY so emissions not a problem. Just one last thought. What are the classic symptoms of a head gasket gone bad...if that's the case for me?
Again, thanks for replying.
Mike

Answer
Classic symptoms of a bad head gasket are overheating, white smoke from the tailpipe, rough running, milky-colored oil, hard starting, coolant loss with no apparent leaks, bubbles visible when you run the engine with radiator cap off, and sometimes a green tint to the spark plug electrodes.  We'll just hope its a thermostat for now though.  :-) good luck,
Jason