Thermostat or not

No stat is another OLD trick that has proven itself not to work. A stat like others have stated allows the coolant to stay in the block to absorb heat, and stay in the rad to cool it, it is a regulator to the speed of the circulation of the coolant. No stat will kill you on startup as your motor will be cold for a longer time,causing more cylinder wear, and itll most likely get hotter than no stat because the coolant is not in either side of the stat to do any good efficiantly. Run a 180. Ideal temp for wear and performance on a carbed motor.