I have read most threads on this over heating AFTER I installed a electric fan.
(The fan noise was driving me nuts with a fan clutch)
Once I installed installed electric fans it started running hot on long upgrades on the freeway, it did ok at low crawling speeds in the desert and mountain trails. That seems backwards to me.
I went back to the stock clutch fan set up and poof the temp was back to normal.
It runs just below halfway on the gauge in all conditions.
This weekend I was in the hottest place on earth (to me) Calico, Barstow Calif.
On long grades on the freeway the gauge would clime up to just below the hot line doing 70 mph on the pavement and the same in washes and rocky hills. It was 112-117 outside I couldn't tell you how hot in washes with the AC blasting.
Anyways. After looking at my VX after trying a electric fan set up I came up with this.
The design on the cooling system is border line (IMO) The opening through the grill is too small to let enough air in when my cooling system isn't in perfect, new, pristine OEM condition in hot weather.
With around 20"x5.5" opening in the grill and the radiator is 25"x16. It only allows 25% of the radiator/condenser to get a straight blast of air through it.
In washes it was getting hot and I jumped out with my screw driver and a 10mm socket and pulled my grill off. And poof ! The temp went back to normal ( just below halfway) I kept it off and enjoyed my weekend in the dirt being careful not to poke my radiator, I put the grill back on and hit the freeway home. On long upgrades on the freeway, in 110 degree heat it started getting hot again. I pulled over and pulled the grill again and poof back to normal again.
I have a new radiator, thermostat, clutch fan. 225,000 miles on the engine. Never has it got hot like it did this weekend but, I have never took it out in this wonderful weather.
This week I'm going to make a desert, summer grill for it, maybe a hood ven too.
This is just my fix and will update later after I make a grill and go back to electric fans.
P.S. My window fix seems to be working perfect with no little plastic clips.
I used a Teflon cutting board cut up.