How hot is cool?

["Douglas R. and Julia R. Harris" <dharris@domain.elided>]

Ill keep this short.  I need help deciding whether my car is
overheating and, if so, what to do.
Since I bought my 77 Spider with 29,000 miles on it, Ive flushed the
cooling system, rodded the radiator, replaced the thermostat with a 180
degree one, and filled it with 50/50 coolant, plus a bottle of
WaterWetter.  The hoses are okay and not collapsed.  Recently I replaced
the temperature gauge sending unit.
In cool weather, the gauge usually reads about 190, sometimes
approaching about 195.  In warmer weather, it often approaches 212 in
stop-and-go driving.  Yesterday was particularly hot, and the gauge read
between 212 and about 220.
I removed the air bleed screw on the top of the intake manifold, above
where the sending unit is, and stuck a thermometer in there.  This is on
the engine side of the thermostat.  The readings were between 192 and
206.  The readings in the top of the radiator are lower  185 to about
195.
My mechanic  who is no stranger to Alfas  says that everything checks
out and I should be okay, that part of the problem is that the front of
the 2A Spider allows little air in, and that, since I have AC, the
condenser further restricts air flow to the radiator.  He recommends
installation of an electric fan (in the puller mode), which well do
when my wife says we can afford it.
Whats going on?  Are the temperatures of between 192 and 206 in the top
of the engine (before cooling) normal?   And, obviously my gauge reads
high.  Anyone have a lead on a replacement used one?  IAP says used is
the only way I can go.

Doug
77 Spider
Richmond, Virginia (swelter, swelter)

[demime 0.99c.7 removed an attachment of type text/x-vcard which had a name of dharris.vcf]
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