I owned my 73 vert XR-7 for 5 weeks but has been in the shop for the past month. To make a long story short the mechanic advised me the previous owner removed the thermostat. I’m now assuming the car has been running without a thermostat for a couple of years. He advised that it’s no big deal to run the car without one. The only negative would be running the heater in the winter. I live in Texas where its usually hot 6 months out of the year.
Should I replace the thermostat and if so which one is recommended for a 73, 351c 2v?
While running without a thermostat may work, it can also lead to overheating. I found this out the hard way on my F-150. The thermostat also restricts the water flow to slow it down going through the radiator and giving more time to remove the heat. Any good quality thermostat will work but keep in mind that Cleveland use a restrictor plate in the bottom of the thermostat cavity. Looks like a big washer and the protrusion on the bottom of the thermostat fits into the hole. I have seen a few where the plate is removed. The thermostat won’t work properly without the restrictor plate in place.
With the informative replies I was able to further educate myself with the 351c special thermostat and restrictor plate. Once I get my car back from the mechanic I will have to look to see if I still have a restrictor plate. I found the below article which may help others if they run into a similar situation.