How hot is hot?

DrCharles said
(such as: electric fans hooked up backwards so they're pushing against the incoming air)...

I had a friend that did that on his 280Z :D
I walked around the front when he came over and it was blowing out the front.
He said "It only gets hot when I drive, but parked it's fine" :D
Then while he was changing things around and finishing the install he drilled a 1/4 hole all the way through the palm of his hand.
Guy had crappy luck like that.

jdsduster said
a lot of folks will argue but in our old cars,thats too hot.mine will run all day in the hottest temps at 180.make sure the rad is up to par,the stat is good,you have a shroud,elect fans are always a problem.you always hear of a temp problem with them.granted ive never used them,but ive never had a overheating issue.stock cooling has always worked great for me.i run a spring in my lower hose to prevent colapse.try and verify the guages are correct.

I run a single 17" electric with a 26 inch radiator in Phoenix with out going over 210 even stopped in traffic.
But I have a basically stock engine too, so I know that matters.
If/when the engine gets replaced with something bigger it'll get a viscous fan clutch and a shroud to match.