I'm running a lot too warm on these hot summer days in Georgia myself. Luckily I've got an old school mechanic on speed dial (my dad). I've been throwing parts at my problem with little success. I've tried different t-stats, water pumps, fan clutches, different fans, and external trans cooler, adding a shroud, etc.

My dad pulled a few tricks out of his hat the other night that I need to look at still. I don't have any kind of rubber or metal flap/guard over the top of the front of the radiator. I don't know if this makes a difference at higher speeds but at lower speeds it could be allowing hot air to recirculate from the back side of the radiator to the front (though maybe it could be a problem at speed too). He also didn't make his view of the use of infrared thermometers in automotive cooling systems clear until after I bought one. In his view, unless you have actual probes in the outlet and inlet to the engine you really don't know squat. I think you know a little more than squat but he's a black/white kind of guy.

If a cooling system is working properly, with a 180* t-stat the engine outlet temp should never be above 180*, simple as that. You start going cooler with the t-stats and then you need more heat transfer capabilities.