/6 running hot - what are your temperatures?
I am very pleased to announce that the issue has been resolved! I FINALLY got the thermostat installed, replaced the heater hoses with actual heater hose and not garden hose, filled er up with coolant and it never even considered getting hot after nearly an hour of running and driving.
so now we know! Bad headgasket, bad radiator and thermostat needs installed. Consider this one of the few posts on the internet with an actual resolution!
Thank You everyone for your ideas!