Looking for '37 President thermostat or modern replacement

I'm getting close to starting my '37 President engine for the first time after rebuild. I'm looking to find a thermostat... Studebaker part number 187682. I'm told these are scarce as they were installed in the upper radiator hose in '36 and '37 Presidents and are somewhat tubular in shape. Lacking an original part, I think I can make a modern rimmed thermostat work by using two short lengths of stainless tubing the same size as the ID of the radiator hose and sandwiching the rim of the thermostat between the stainless inside the upper hose. Does anyone know a modern application that would use a 2 1/8 inch diameter, low temperature (150 degrees) thermostat?

I've also posted this request on the SDC tech talk Forum to try to cover all bases. Thanks. Tom

Hi, Tom. I just sent you a PM about your thermostat situation. John

I know I'm 6 years too late to this conversation, but as luck would have it I need the same thermostat.

Did you find a thermostat, or manage to create something that would work in it's place?

You can use a Meziere in-line thermostat housing with a modern Chevy-type thermostat, pick the temperature you want, like 160 or 170 degrees.  Meziere makes them for 1.5" i.d. hoses, but you can get a hose reducer to go from 1.75" hose to 1.5" fitting.  The Meziere housings are aluminum, threaded together.

https://www.meziere.com/Products/Cooling-System-Accessories/Inline-Stat-Housings.aspx

https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-Performance-ALL30240-Radiator-Reducer/dp/B004QGCOOY 

Original style Dole thermostat.

Thanks for the info, that should work fine. Cheers!

I’m just now catching up on the forums I should be watching. I saw the title of this thread and thought “That’s interesting”.  Then I realized that I was the one who started it years ago.  I have since sold the ‘37 President for which I was looking for the thermostat. (The last time I saw that car it still didn’t have a correct thermostat)

Anyway, a year after that I bought a ‘35 Commander with the same engine that did have a correct thermostat in it, so I have continued to look for (and buy) every correct Dole Valve Company thermostat that I came upon so I would have spares.I’d be willing to sell the bottom one for $75 plus shipping. It uses rubber sleeves shown to fit into the radiator hose, and the shape is not exactly the same. ( who would know that, but a very few of us, and no one that I know would call you on it if you showed up at a show with this in your radiator hose.) 

By the way, the image that Gary posted above of an original Dole thermostat is my ‘35 Commander

I guess the moral of this long story is that parts like this are still out there if you have patience and keep looking.

Tom