Technical Pontiac 6X2 intake question

I have a 64 Pontiac 389 that I want to use an Edelbrock MLP6 6x2 intake on. I do have a couple of questions about it. I see the for sale quite often but no one running them.

#1) most sources say that it only fits 55-60 heads and a few say that it fits 55-64 heads. My bolt holes and runners all line up, is there some that I’m missing that would cause this intake to not work on 64 heads?

#2) what are people doing for a thermostat? The intake only has two threaded ports on the front. I would prefer to not run a remote thermostat housing but if I have to so be it. I have seen a water cross over from KRE but I’m not sure that would work.

3) if I do use a remote thermostat housing, what would I do with the water port on the back of the timing cover? Would simply plugging it cause any issues?
Thank you

 

This is the intake sitting on my 61 389

 

According to Wallace Racing, http://www.wallaceracing.com/interchange.htm the intakes are different for the earlier year engines, what is does the bottom of the intake look like at the front? Do the holes line up for water and hold down bolts?

This one, https://www.ebay.com/itm/1452327040...044&customid=a069c6e54451185e149fa201ff588053 has multiple water outlet holes to fit the different year heads.

This one is similar to yours but has a different style of water outlets,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3136767128...f9dO97ZrLTt+I/KhFpDZ85WLs=|tkp:Bk9SR5rD9ODDYg

I don't see much way around a remote T-stat, the early engines used a front mount t-stat housing, '65 -'79 used the top mount type like you show from KRE, it won't line up with bolt holes, but you might be able drill and tap the heads.

You need an old catalog to see what was sold with this intake, the water pump has holes in it for the byp*** doesn't it?

 

Looks like you could cut off the 90 deg outlets for the water and make a flange to bolt on with
the two manifold bolts.

connect with a pipe welded between with a outlet/ thermostat housing

 

Search “ ‘56 Pontiac 317ci Edelbrock 6x2” on the search bar LowAndSlow54 posted his set up with a picture has a water crossover coming out of those 90s

 

I know that the single quad and dual quad intake manifolds that Edelbrock made for Pontiacs at the same time had two places for the front water hole; one worked on '55-'60 heads, and the other on '61-'64 heads. You pounded a core plug into whichever hole you didn't use for your application.

 

Here is the link to the post that @Jermm mentioned:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...was-it-introduced.582843/page-2#post-14760232