[Rob Doe]

Also, the Vintage Precision unit can have a heavy duty stat in it, which supposedly has a stronger spring, a higher flow capacity and a tougher overall construction. It is not an all open or fully closed stat either, as I recall. It does not allow wide swings of temp. It holds a fairly steady 160 degree temperature. On our car's gauge that is 155-160 degrees.

We drive the car almost daily. It has a recently rebuilt engine with what must be a heavy duty radiator. The engine runs 80 degrees above ambient after warmed up. On a 30 degree morning, that's an oil temp of 110 degrees. Cold oil creates sludge, so i'm told, and certainly doesn't lubricate the best.

Before the thermostat, I had to cover the radiator clear up to the light bar in the winter to get temps of 140-160 depending on temps. That is a pain as the cover must be adjusted if it gets warm for a couple days then drops back down to the 20s and 30s.

If you don't drive your A much and mostly in the summer, if your temp runs in healthy range, I'd go without the stat too.

Our car came with the alternator that looks a lot like a generator with cutout too, I will install an original generator and cutout from NDNChief if the fancy alternator fails.

Hope this helps.