I found it already had a 195 F thermostat installed. Indeed, rockauto listed that as the standard temp, which surprised me since I thought factory was 180 F in those years.
The higher temp was certainly standard in the 80's slant six. It reduces emissions and gives more mileage, at the loss of a little horsepower at WOT due to the less dense intake air and slightly more propensity for spark knock.
The major downside of a 195° thermostat is the nuisances caused by hot-soaking a carbureted fuel system. If you live somewhere cold, or if your fuel doesn't contain dethanol, this probably won't be a major issue.
I doubt a 195 F thermostat would exacerbate over-heating
Right. A 195° thermostat won't cause overheating, though a temperature gauge calibrated to read centre-normal with a 180° thermostat will read higher than some drivers might be comfortable with if a 195°*thermostat is installed.
