I have just put a '54 TF back on the road after sitting for 25 years (to date only 125 miles). My concern is it appears to heat up when either climbing hills, or taking the speed up to 55. Going down hill, or holding 45 MPH the temp gauge holds 85* C. Climb a hill of a few 100 yards or hold 55 for a few miles and the gauge rises to 100, or higher. The nice thing is it takes nothing to cool it back down. I drop my speed & RPMs and it is back to just above 85* very quickly. I did put a thermometer in the radiator, and it was 10-15 degrees cooler then the gauge said. The water pump & thermostat were changed before it was put on the road. At 100 miles, I flushed the radiator and did notice some improvement.
Am I expecting too much from the car, or is this normal? Is it possible that 'gunk' is on the temp sensor and giving me a false reading?