Already time for a cooling system rebuild.

Chris Nicholson said

I asked my buddy and he said he did a compression test when he owned the car. A few were lower than others, but all were in range.

He suggested doing a Prestone flush before taking anything apart, to make sure it doesn't have decades of gunk built up.

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Head gaskets can go bad at any time. So can a dozen other things that match your symptoms. What the previous owner did or didn't do is moot. Not trying to bust your balls, but I don't think you have a cooling system issue. Replacing the entire system may not do anything but leave you poorer and still stranded.

You could be right, but I'd rule out other things first is all I'm saying. A compression check may not even reveal a head gasket issue.

If you do nothing else, please rent a pressure testing device for your radiator to make sure that it holds pressure. Autozone rents them "free", and they're cheap anyway. Much cheaper than even a water pump.