I ended up buying a $20 thermostat off ebay to see if it was half decent. I almost went with one from rockauto, but I took the gamble for a third of the price. So far I have about 25 miles on it and my temp stays at just under halfway once it's warmed up. When I pulled the old one, I expected it to be stuck open, but it wasn't. The only thing I saw was that the rubber seal around the actual valve portion was cracked and missing a section. I didn't test it to see want temperature it was opening at.

So far, so good. I'll keep you guys updated on how well it works.