I purchased a new 7 in 1983, 1600 cross flow, Sprint spec - twin webers. It was fitted with a thermostat. The biggest problem was the modified Hillman Avenger radiator (I think that is what it was) as the capacity/flow rate wasn't up to really hot running - as in, stopped in traffic with no airflow. A few times whilst touring in Switzerland I removed the thermostat - I always carried a spare Thermostat housing gasket. Mine was fitted with an electric fan & I fitted an override switch, so that I could pre-empt things and switch the fan on myself before the sensor (Otter Switch) kicked in. The car never boiled over on me, I just thought it was going to!! As a side note, my 7 was an only car for seven years so it was used all year. With a thermostat fitted it at least stopped the engine running too cold in the winter. From memory, the Thermostat housing, for the cross flow engine, accepts a fairly generic thermostat so you will have a range of thermostat temperature options to choose from. 82C should be a good compromise, but having a fan override switch should also be considered. Consider how you are going to use your car and hopefully that will help you decide what you need to do, if anything.
