Now that i've got the new radiator in, at driving speeds the temp stays at about 150-160*. Is this too low? When the car just sits idling, it will creep up to 220* and the fan will kick on, bringing back to about 170 or so.

 

Sound ok to me. You must have a lower than stock thermostat. Low engine temperatures promote better performance, but they do hurt gas mileage. Is this car used for winter/daily driving? You may find 150* coolant doesn't heat the interior very well in the winter. You may also be sacrificing 1-3 mpgs. On the other hand, my Camaro sits in the garage half the year, and only gets driven when I'm playing around, so I don't mind my 160* thermostat one bit!

 

Poppn, what are you using for a radiator? Your temps sound good, you can get the fan to come on sooner by changing the fan switch. I use one by Jet that comes on at 195-200 and turns off at 180-185. Summit has them if you are interested. Part # Jet 60600 if memory serves me right.

 

It's just a stock OEM replacement with the plastic side tanks, but I'm pretty sure the previous owner put a 160 stat in. The car needs to be idling for a few minutes to get to 220, so it shouldnt be a problem unless I'm in heavy traffic, but I'll look into those fans. Isn't there a way to rig up a switch?

 

You can splice into the fan switch wire if you know where it is and connect to a switch. If you can`t find the switch, locate the primary fan relay, on my `88 Iroc it`s on the radiator support, find the green/white wire(low voltage wire) and splice into it and connect it to a switch. Run a wire from ground to the other side of the switch and you are all set. Your fan switch should still work at the stock temps.