thanks for all the input guys, I just ordered a thermostat and i am going to put that in to see if it makes a difference.

another question regarding the head.. my plan for this car is to drive it around until i get the registration taken care of, then take a few days to pull the head and swap in a new head gasket. how bad is it to drive with a gasket leak? if its just gas into the coolant, not in the cylinders or in the oil..

thanks. Jack