Technical Cheap-Ass Radiators - yes or no

****. I’ve had a couple old rides this century that cost around 1k to get back on the road. A couple in recent years not much more.

 

No, I'm with you.

 

I guess it's all in what you want when it's done.

 

I’ve been a part of a few 6 figure builds, one probably 7.
I love the finished rides as much as my “make em go and stop” beaters.
the high end and bottom ba*****t builds have one of the same goals: enjoyment for the owner.
I understand sticker shock on these parts.
If a $99 Amazon/e-bay radiator makes the smile happen, Yee haa.

 

Reminds me of an at***ude I had late teens early twenties. I made a point to have as many usable tires mounted on as many wheels ready to go to fit my Cutl*** I was hot rodding around in then. Literally did not care what style or size the backups were. And I had really nice 15×7 and 15×10 cragers on the car. Actually had buddies that would refuse to take their car out if the wheels didn't match. One date I went on after destroying the normal 295/50/15s I ran on the back I was running stock steel wheels on the back with 195/70/14s.....keep in mind the rear of the was raised 4" to clear the 295/50s. I didn't let prissiness cause me to miss out on the triple B's in life....****s, booze, and bros lol. May look goofy showing up but I still show up

 

You can have a million dollar smile with a dime store budget

 

Was my logic lol. Point of a hot rod regardless of era is to have fun. If the hot rod is keeping you from having fun what's the point?

 

I toke my 37 olds radiator in to have it cleaned, it was not leaking, the only radiator shop in town refused to even look at it. He said they just end up chasing leaks and most of the time it will fail within a year again. He recommended to get a new one. Ended up getting a Champion that was close, and was able to modify it to work. Very happy with it, not paper thin and good thick mounts. Running a mild sbc with no issues.
They have been fixing rads for over 50 years, father son shop, he said they mostly do bigger truck and tractors now, most everything else its cheaper to purchase a replacement.

 

I have had rides that have been on the road for $1,000 and I gradually update and change as I go, heck until my Model A build I haven't spent more than $5K to get any one vehicle on the road.

My Model A is a different story. With the current USD to CAD exchange rate being so high I was hesitating, but I came to the conclusion I either start buying parts or I will never build it. I have more money in parts for it than I have wrapped up in 4 other driving vehicles, and I haven't done any significant work on the truck yet.

 

OR... you could buy a $300 dollar rad that would do the exact same thing and put the other $700 in something else you need?

 

If you're still not understanding why a cheap and more expensive aluminum rad are not the same for a 28 there's no point in trying to explain it again.

You run the cheap ****, I won't, and we'll both be happy with our own decisions.

 

The thing is, one can't be ***ured the the dollars and the quality go hand in hand. I'd like to believe that doubling or quadrupling my outlay would provide a corresponding increase in 'quality', however you measure it.

But that's almost never the case. Small makers don't have a huge advertising budget to recoup in pricing, the big guys do and that cost isn't built into the radiator, it's just an add-on after the product is built. One example of why increased price isn't a guarantee of quality.

One has to look, feel and ask around to determine what to buy.

 

Champion Radiator with a stroked flathead. $264.98 as of today.

 

Brilliant points, our hobby / industry offers every price / quality option for thousands of components, probably what keeps it going.

I bought a direct fit rad, shroud once for mt 56. It worked and fit excellent.

For my engine run stand... any radiator works. Radiator Lady Cali had the one I bought...4x outlet, all configuration, multi brackets.

 

Most here have valid points, but about a cheap radiator leaving you stranded, same can be said with a br***. Same could also be said with a coil failing on you, condenser dying, flat tire with no spare (since lots of us don't carry one) running out of gas in the middle of nowhere and the list goes on and on. I am usually the one prepared for most things to go wrong, since that's my nature, by carrying tools and spares. I think maintenance and inspections of your stuff before you head out will catch most of the issues before hand. I find issues all the time that I can fix before they become a bigger issue, IE u-joint going bad, bad wheel cylinder, leaky fuel line, etc. More often than not I know a radiator is failing before it leaves me stranded.

From my angle and point of view I have run both, I have had both fail on me at one point. Never have I had one leave me stranded, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I've had more hoses fail over the years than the radiators themselves. YES, I have had them ruin my day, stopping to fill a bad radiator over and over to get home, but it's not a big deal. I have run cheap aluminum in my offroad rig and went through 2 of them in the span of 15 years. I have run a Northern aluminum in my 62 Willys pickup for over 31 years with zero issues. A Champion in our 64 Falcon for over 13 years zero issues as well. I have run br*** in one of my Jeeps and had it fail. It's a personal choice on what to run, and who cares what others think. I do believe constructive criticism and discussion is a good thing. It makes people think and form an educated opinion on what to do. I think aluminum is okay for some rigs and not so for others. For my Model A with a 32 shell and a flathead, I will go br*** because to me its period correct looking. It will cost me more than that 300 dollar aluminum radiator, and I'm prepared for that. Some people have the funds to spring for a br***, some don't and I'm in no way faulting that, I've been there. All things aside, at the end of the day were all here to enjoy these cl***ic rigs and run them down the road. Screw what others think, get out there and have fun, love the day and put a smile on your face. Heck, you put a smile on others faces too when they see ya out there.

 

Couldn't have said it better, FiveNdime.

Ben

 

I am all for aluminum Most engines now days have some aluminum. In the case of hot rods we add it. My thoughts the less dissimilar metals in a cooling system the better

 

Did the internet screw up and put me on a website different then the HAMB? When did we reach the point that how much money you are willing to spend on a certain part is more important then getting the ride on the road and enjoying it?

My coupe has been on the road since 2012. It has over 100,000 miles on it since it was built. The cheap aluminum radiator in it has been there since the car was built. I am expecting to have to replace it at some point, I'm watching it pretty closely, much like I do with everything else on the car. When it starts to show signs of leaking or other issues, I'm probably not going to be taking it far from home before it gets replaced. It will be replaced with another aluminum radiator, because frankly, I'm pretty content with the service it has provided.

I should probably mention that that cheap radiator was in the donor truck as well, it came from the factory with it. I know its a cheap radiator because it has an aluminum core and plastic tanks crimped together. The (1990) donor truck had 100,000 miles on it when I took it apart and used the drive train, it has the same factory radiator. That cheap aluminum radiator with crimped on plastic tanks is over 30 years old and has over 200,000 miles on it, (a replacement radiator just like it is around $120 these days). Lets be honest here, I'm sure the radiator in my coupe is probably the exception rather then normal. My coupe was built with the expectation that it was going to be a short term car to have fun with for a year or two and then it would become a pile of parts, I sure was not investing a lot of money in anything on it. Even back then, if I had to buy a new radiator for it, it wouldn't have been one of those $120 replacement radiators, but a $200 aluminum radiator, sure.

I suspect most of your hot rods won't see that time span nor how many miles my coupe (and its cheap aluminum radiator) has ac***ulated (but some will), but you choosing to spend the big money on any particular part for your hot rod, is for your personal level of need, which is the reason you build your stuff and I build mine. To condemn others for not wanting (or not being able) to buy expensive parts just because you feel the need to buy expensive parts makes you look like a gold chain street rod owner from the 80s. The reality is, if you drive a modern vehicle and you don't worry about the radiator failing every time you get in it to drive someplace, you are a hypocrite. Pretty much any vehicle that has been built since the 2005 model year has a cheap radiator with plastic tank crimped to an aluminum core. There is a much higher chance of it failing then there is a fully welded aluminum radiator.

Reliable is when you can do a check over of the entire car before you venture out with a hot rod, and don't have to be concerned about any one thing causing a problem that won't get you back home. If something isn't right, you either fix it, or park it until you can fix it, or you determine it won't cause a problem getting you home and monitor it. Unless you have had radiators fail in the past, you probably give them the quick glance to be sure they are full, the coolant isn't rusty, and nothing is leaking, then move on with the check over list.

This tread needs a reality check. A junk radiator is a junk radiator, doesn't matter what its make out of. Everyone has a number of years we expect a new radiator to go without issues (how much you paid does play into that expectation). If it doesn't last as long as you think it should for the money you spent, you probably won't buy that brand or style again. If you think you need expensive parts on your ride, go for it. Do not condemn me if I don't think I need those same expensive parts. I may think I need expensive parts you don't think you need, and that is OK.