1. Yeah the paint won't have a huge affect but it is just as easy to buy the "right" paint and spray it on if one is painting it anyway.
2. The heat in most of Texas is nothin compared to Phoenix Arizona in the summer.
3. A 147 t stat is pointless in a street car and will usually always be open unless you have a 20 gallon rad, plus even if you got an engine to run at 147 degrees it will do far more harm than good due to premature engine wear, plus the oil will likely not get hot enough to cause any water in it to evaporate.
4. I know because I have been making engines run cool in hot weather as part of my business for over 40 years and I posted several of the differences previously.
5. Flex fans are not used anymore by any knowledgeable people I know, and they are not always a good choice since the blades flatten out at higher revs, thus greatly reducing the amount of air they can flow at higher engine rpms. Plus, the blades have been known to fly off and cut rad hoses or go thru hoods etc.