"Thinking I need a thermostat, 160 or 180?"
Is it your thinking that a thermostat will lower the temp?
As for rodding it out, it seems to me you have little choice and an opportunity for great personal satisfaction.
If there is no shop around and you plan to either have it recored, or replaced this is what I would do.
Take the radiator out of the car (has to be done anyway), place it on a board and trace around it to get an accurate outline. With a propane torch remove the top tank. Go to a hobby/craft store and purchase two 3' pieces of music wire and one tube. One wire and the tube about 1/2 the diameter on the radiator tube and one wire just under the size of the tube. Round off the bottom edges of the wires and crimp a periodontal brush in the tube. Using the rods, clean out the tubes, forcing any junk into the bottom tank, follow up with the brush. Once done flush out the radiator and the bottom tank.
Place the top tank on the core, place the assembly on the board to check for height and solder back in place.
If that does not work you "wasted" about $20.00 and an afternoon. If it does work you saved, well, see above posts, and also gained personal satisfaction in a job well done.