If you do need a fan clutch, pony up for a Fichtel-Sachs unit and make sure you have the most updated blade on there. The Behr for the M103s are garbage (I went through two that were both stuck locked) and Uro is pretty much the worst imaginable.

My car runs the 79°C stat and a Behr rad.

Consider a new expansion tank and radiator hoses while the system is open along with a solid flush plus Zerex G05.



This really inexpensive car will cost a minimum of $2000-3000 to have decently durable, just be ready. Been there, done that.

If you re-read you will discover that I did in fact buy a used Nissen in good condition, and that a bad t-stat was the final culprit. Agreed wholeheartedly on avoiding cheap components, especially when it comes to critical areas like the cooling system. I just popped almost $40 on coolant just to avoid major issues down the road.