Slant 6 Operating Temp

Hi guys,

Recently I have completed a full renovation of the heating/cooling system in my '76 Dart. New hoses, thermostat, sending unit, everything flushed, etc. My question now is this: I installed a 180 degree thermostat for summer driving. By holding my hand on the upper radiator hose, I can feel when it opens to let the hot block coolant flow into the radiator. However...even after driving the car, the temp gauge continues to read presumably low. It's in the "normal range", but on the far lower end. It looks like this: 120\ \__|______/ /250.

This may be a stupid question, but is this normal? I would think the needle would be somewhere in the middle of the gauge if the car were really at 180, however I know the thermostat would not open unless it was at the 180 mark. The car runs perfectly though and the heat is hot enough to burn you if you leave your hand in front of it too long. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Hopefully the gauge is right on and I don't have to redo this again!