Thanks atomarc for the tip. I found an interesting website on old Pontiacs and overheating problems, but yet again that site suggests "advancing the timing a few degrees" without an actual number and some other tips. (Not that a Pontiac number would help me any!)
http://www.gtoalley.com/ttcool.html I'll run better-than-regular gas and bump up the timing a bit beyond the "steel ball" but I sure wish I had an engineer's number to aim at!