Has any of you Hamb members bought and used a Chinese radiator? I am building a 39 Ford Standard with a 302 engine. I seen a aluminum radiator on epay made in China, that is suppose to cool a 700 hp engine. It is made to fit in the 39 standard with a 302 engine. I am wanting to know if anyone on the Hamb has bought one and how it performed. Thank You Marv
Hi. Never used one but as I am a long time regular ebay seller who also volunteers on the ebay Answer Center helping both buyers & sellers resolve issues I can assure you that if you plan to purchase from a Chineese seller it is buyer beware in a BIG TIME SENSE. If you are buying an item from a seller in the U.S. then you have good buyer protetion but still if you have problems & have to return for a refund the return shipping is on your dime. But if you are considering purchasing an item on ebay from a seller in China you could be in for a world of hurt. This is because of the trade agreement between the U.S. & China governments. Chineese sellers get to ship at just pennies on the dollar to the U.S. because of this trade agreement. Buyers in the U.S. get NO discount on shipping if they need to return an item with tracking for a refund. For something as big as a radiator it could cost over a thousand dollars shipping to return with the required tracking. It is known that the Chineese sellers try to string along a buyer with promises to resend a correct replacement item in an attempt to let the 30 day window for a buyer to open an ebay case go by & then the buyer never hears from the seller again. Chineese sellers seem to know this & from posts on the ebay answer center they seem to just throw anything in the package & get tracking & KNOW that the ebay buyer cannot afford to send it back for a refund without going much deeper in the hole on the crud they bought. It is a quick way to lose a lot of money. good luck, Jimmie
that may be true about Chinese sellers on ebay , and i see a lot of them trying to sell direct from China......but i assume he means a Chinese built radiator sold by a US seller. or i may be wrong
I have a Champion (3) row in an OT car and a un-named one in my '38.... both have worked good and no problems. Both of these are fully welded (no epoxy) aluminum radiators. Each one was about $300 off of ebay. The OT car is running a stroker and the '38 running a 327 Chev. Tom
I think people are lead to believe that ALOT of stuff is manufactured in China that is in fact made right here in the USA. This is, and always has been a marketing ploy by US mfg companies who have big brand names and are trying to make the competition appear inferior. DO NOT ASSUME...always do your research and make an informed decision. Buying through a state-side dealer is usually best in either case, but the product can come from anywhere....just ask if you feel it makes a difference. I've seen some terrible junk being sold as high quality, and I've also found some very reasonable parts that turned out to be far superior than any US made replacement. You have to do your homework.
We have had quite a few guys in our Ford Social Group swap out radiators using all aluminum welded units so far good results, the late 60's Mustang radiator are almost a bolt in for 1949-56 Fords.But this is worth a read: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/protect-your-aluminum-parts.926459/ There has been issues about aluminum radiators leaking after about 2 years on other forums and a pretty good thread on the main board here regarding the sacrificial anodes,there is also another style anode integral with the radiator cap,also run a ground strap from the radiator frame to a good ground.
I've used Chinese ones and rads from local guys. same thing as far as performance. but Chinese ones are defiantly cheaper. I can see it being easier for customer service if the radiator is bought nationally. but I have never had to return a Chinese radiator. I always hear you get what you pay for but that's not always the case, especially with some Chinese radiators. they are cheaper but they are a simple design and made just fine Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I use champion radiators off ebay, supposed to be made in CA. They have worked fine for me, no issues.
Used 3 Chinese made radiators in early falcons, 2 of with high hp engines and had absolutely no issues. I'm not a fan of Chinese crap but at $200 nzd they can't be beat, and they are fully welded, and much tidier welding than a big brand radiator I got for another car a while back as we'll.. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Marv it will be a gamble either way. Alot of small run parts made in China are made by random suppliers...and there are literally millions of small manufacturers in China. So comparing one Chinese made rad to another isn't really going to give you a clear comparison. The question you should be asking yourself is: If this Chinese rad doesn't work out, was the cash out of pocket worth the gamble? Because you won't be getting any warranty with a Chinese rad direct off ebay Ive been to China, I've been in factories. I've seen really good craftsmanship there, and I've seen horrible craftsmanship there. They are capable of both.
I bought a cheap radiator off of Ebay for my 59 ElCamino. It was welded aluminum, $200 bucks or offer, so I offered 175 and got it. I don't remember where it was made, pretty sure in China, The specs were the same,will cool a 700 horsepower engine etc. It was exactly as advertisd, bolted in, and cools my 450 horsepower engine on 100 degree days just fine. No complaints. after 4 years
Marv. I learned a long time ago that when it comes to Brakes, Steering and Cooling you buy the best. You'll never be disappointed. A Chinese radiator made by small children, will leave you by the roadside when you least expect it. Want to bet that Chinese radiator fits a 39 Ford? Nothing Chinese fits. How about handles 700 HP? I don't believe any claims about Chinese products. I use nothing made in China, its all garbage. The Walker copper/brass radiator in my 46 Ford Convertible and SBC has been in there for over 15 years. Walkers are pricey but not when they last that long. Any idea how long that Chinese radiator will last? Nothing Chinese lasts. To me piece of mind is worth money. I don't want to be waiting for Chinese parts to fail. It's your car-your money-your choice.
Step up to the plate and use what Henry did,,copper/brass. They cost more but they are well worth the piece of mind,,I have a Walker radiator that is now 18 years old with no problems ever. HRP
Bought one off E-Bay about three years ago. Same ad, cools 700 hp, bla-bla-bla. I wasn't building a hi dollar car so I bought it. The ad said it was damaged with only a dent in it, so I figured I could pull it out or leave it if it wasn't too bad. I bid a hunnerd bucks on it, and got it for eighty five. When it got here, I set it aside and didn't bother to look it for about 6 months. Finally opened it and found a brand new one with no apparent damage. I called the guy to see what was going on. He told me that the one he was going to send got run over with a fork truck. He figured I didn't want that one, so....... Any way I used this one on a 403 Olds in a T- Bucket and it's been a good one. Did overheat one time, but that was because I didn't turn the electric fan on and I was idling in a fairground. I even hit two deer with this thing. Bent the radiator over the front of the engine. Give it a pry with a 6' bar and pulled it right back in place. No leaks, no issues. Might not have this luck again, but this one is a keeper. Think it's a foreign one 'cause it has that tiny little filler neck.
I've put a few in my junk recently, they seem to work ok. Ignore the claims about how many hp they will keep cool...and consider them to be throw aways.
Those imports are just fine.don't buy into the hype that you have to spend a grand on a walker for it to be good. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If you want another option I just got a custom made aluminum for my 40 coupe from Brice Thomas Radiator in Alabama. American made and It was under 400.00. Made to order and got it in less than 2 weeks. Nice radiator.
That Chinese POS is about the same price as a decent recore. Why support them, when a local business can benefit from your patronage? Cheapskates buying Chinese shit shouldn't bitch about the sad state of the US economy. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
You could look at the Big picture,America exports about 85% of it's scrap metal so American workers process the scrap and American dock workers load the ships so both have jobs,that's good.Scrap arrives in China they melt it down because they don't mind pollution and they turn it into goods because our EPA basically killed off those mill jobs here, so an American company orders Chinese products to sell here so the guys on the phones,the guys in shipping dept and the UPS and Fed-EX drivers bring it to your door and that equals more American jobs.So keep drinking the Bud and PBR and because American brewers need jobs too and the scrap cans will end up as radiators,intake manifolds etc. so pop another brew and thank yourself for keeping America working.
I bought one for 165$ shipped to Hawaii . The radiator shop here wanted almost 300$ to recore mine that was 3 years ago . It may be the only good China part I have seen.
The copper and brass radiator in my Falcon has been in the car, since it left the factory in August of 1960. Still clean inside. Still holding fine.
Its a damn shame that much of the manufacturing jobs are overseas. I saw a documentary on Netflix recently about Chinese products that come to our shores and only 1% of all cargo is inspected and of that 1% more than 80% of those products don't meet US safety codes and regulations due to dangerous chemicals, poor construction, bootleg products and the list goes on. So basically every product we buy thats made in another country, we strengthen their economy and weaken ours. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
champion radiators are built in california! beware their are different level of welded aluminum radiators. guy at swap meet had 2 sawn in half showing differences in the two and WOW!
My O.T. car has a Champion radiator. I paid under $300.00 shipped to my door. (About 8 yrs ago already) It's a damn good quality radiator. I'd buy another ANYTIME.
I recently bought a new radiator for my daily driver Caddy from Rock Auto. The prices ranged from $78 to $170, the higher priced one from AC Delco. I bought the AC Delco one because Caddys run warm and I live in Florida. When I got the box it proudly said AC Delco, and it also said "Made in China" !!!!!! There goes that theory. But it was nice quality and is cooling fine. Don
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