Who has the best aluminum radiators ?

I need to have a aluminum radiator made for my current 'Nailhead' powered "A" project.

So, if you have good or bad impute regarding aluminum radiator companies, share 'em.... so I and others can benifit from your experiances.

AHotRod
Caveman Creative Engineering

 

Without a doubt, the finest in the business www.rondavisradiators.com

 

I have used Griffin's in very harsh (offroad compe***ions) conditions with no problems.

 

I found a local (metro Detroit) radiator shop that specialized in making AL radiators for race cars. I took Big Olds there on a Monday they fabbed the new radiator, AL fan schroud and installed in 5 days. HALF the price of purchasing a Walker, Be Cool or Griffen, I check.


Call around locally and see if anyone can make you one.

 

this guy built a really nice custom aluminun radiator for my roadster. His name is Randy, he's in a north east suburb of Detroit. Check him out 586-412-1298.
He built exactly what I needed and it looks super sweet, and the turn-around time was fast!

Fleetwood

 

I second ron davis. They look like a piece of artwork. we got one for a car we have in our shop right now and i feel kinda bad puting in there where no one will ever see it(its in an etype jag). top quality.

 

Milner dude, has Griffin started brazing the fins to the tubes yet? The last few I had my hands on, the fins started pulling out from between the tubes. RickyRacer1962 had one in his Ranchero with the same problem.

 

Are you referring to Superior Radiator in Mt Clemens? If so, that's the same place that did mine

 

I would listen to ElP, I would have done a Ron Davis but I did an AFCO before I knew about Davis. The Afco works great in my touring.

 

Ron Davis............. LUKESTER

 

My vote would be a ron davis too .But only if you wish to buy a top quality rad .. It's worth the rate and wait time !

 

I have an Afco in my coupe,,,

It doesn't look great, but it cools well and it was cheap.

 

I bought a Ron Davis and am very pleased with the quality. It took about 2 1/2 weeks to get it.

 

Portell radiators in De soto Mo. will have to look them up on the web, don't have their number with me right now, do great work and whats really nice is you can afford them! Any size or shape.

 

I seen my brother in laws nova fall off of a jack and catch itself on the bottom of the radiator. It crushed the bottom of it in and bowed the sides. This was the evening before a photo shoot and no one in town had one. I figured for sure it would start puking water. We started it up and it never leaked a drop. He drove it for a couple of weeks until he got a replacement.

With that said I would definately recomend a Griffin!

 

Buddy Griffin was making radiators for nascar and the drag racers before venturing into the hot rod cooling business and life of a radiator in nascar is not very long,,,

His business at that time was in Townville,S.C. about 8 miles from my home.

I talked to him about building me a new aluminum radiator for my 39 ford convert. and took him my original radiator as a pattern and it was the 1st 39/40 radiator they made,,,,it looked great,,,

The only problem is it didn't cool any better than the ol' original copper and br*** radiator I had in my 40 sedan.

After several months of problems they decided to make me a new one,,,remember this was their first one for the forty style,,,,,the shop foreman took it over to the band saw and cut it up and discovered that half of the tubes were clogged with the epoxy resin that it was put together with and the new one solved all my problems with cooling,,,I guess they solved their problem.

I worked great and the last time I saw the car in Knoxville Tenn. it still had the same radiator in it.

I will say that I have Walker radiators in both of my hot rods and never had a problem and if they made one I would have one in the 54 Ranch Wagon that I'm building .HRP

 

Interesting stories and observations, I've been talking to AFCO, as they did my last car projects radiator and it was done right and worked well.

Keep the info coming guys and gals.

 

ron davis,got mine from speedways for a good price.

 

I did not know that Speedway was selling 'Ron Davis' Radiators ......I'll go to their Website and take alook, Thanks!

 

I have used Griffin, without a problem.

 

Ron Davis is good but I have only used them in dragsters and they were always VERY expensive and leadtime was so-so.
I put a Griffin in my dad's Delivery with their a/c condensor. It uses the 1.25 inch tubes and it runs cool all day - with the A/C freezing you out

 

Afco is about 30 mile from here. One of the owners is a friend. I have a couple other friends to run their radiators and have heating problems. This is not saying its Afcos fault,but both had fresh engines. I have a Walker coolmate in my 28 delivery back before they cam out with the cobra. Everything new and it overheated and overheated. To make a very long story short. They finally gave me a radiator just to show me it wasn't their fault. Put in in and no problems. Sent it back and they sent me a new one, with fins all out of line (second). Needless to say, no more walkers for me and I will tell everybody about my 2+ years of misery with them.

 

If your were building a nailhead powered '29 and that A/C unit you were asking about was going in the same car I'd suggest br*** and a guy that just happens to have a br*** big block radiator for a '29. brand new with the condensor built on.

But alas that's probably not the case.

Hey what's the deal with all this giant monster print here lately. Don't tell me its age, I'm getting up there but I own gl***es.

Sorry I just wanted to be an ***. I'll take my hat off so i have something to sit on now.

 

I still have my small block powered S-10 that was built with a Griffin radiator in 1990.I have welded different outlets on it ,drag raced it,raced it at some spectator drags at a local 1/2 mile dirt track,and driven it over 100,000 miles.It is still holding the antifreeze I put in after an engine swap in 1999.I also installed a Griffin in my '56 F-100.I have sold Be-cool (tons of warranties),Afco (Just plain ugly),Walker (work ok,but will eventually fail you) and Howe (Good radiators).Griffin is a great radiator.

 

If you want THE BEST aluminum Radiator C&R or Saldana are the best period!

C&R http://www.crracing.com/

Saldana http://www.saldanaracingproducts.com/index.html

Trust me if you want an Aluminum Radiator these two are the best in the country, EVERY winston cup car plus many Indy cars use C&R's

BUT personally I would go with a copper br*** radiator from Steve Long Custom Radiators on Gasoline Alley In Indy myself they cool great and are works of art. I have 190 degree thermostats in my flatty with a Steve Long Radiator and it runs 180 degrees

 

I have an AFCO with fan shroud in my 32. Had it out yesterday in near 100 degree heat (index 107) and it ran 180. With the fan on it will hold 180 in bumper to bumper traffic. Only problem is looks. Not quite right in a traditional ride. I am going to have the fan shroud and tanks powder coated black over the winter.

 

in my experience Griffin has the biggest bunch of jerk-offs in the world, I use PRC in Indiana and have always been happy.

 

Bib,
What engine are you running in your Roadster?
Would you have a picture or could you give me the radiator core diamensions?

Thanks,
Glenn

 

I'm running a Chevy 350 with a .040 overbore, mild cam, and about 9.1 CR. The TH350 is cooled by the radiator.

I'll go out in the shop with a tape measure in the morning and get the dementions for you. It is the standard AFCO 32 radiator and it fits the grille shell evenly all around.