Technical Flex radiator hoses

I would use it, I think on my 49 dodge application it would look ok.
I remember my Grandmother using that hose to replace the P trap under the kitchen sink.

 

..................Your Grandmother was obviously a very resourceful lady.

 

No but I don't like you more.

 

Yup, nothing says "'80s street rod guy playing at traditional hot rods" like molded radiator hoses...Funny stuff!

 

Back in the day, there was another plus for flex hoses. They had wire inside and didn't collapse like smooth hoses.

 

I think that they both have their place. Nothing says motor swap like a flex hose. Lots of the cars that we like you could go to the autoparts and buy the correct hose. Unless you were swapping motors from say a 6 to an 8 and had to use what you had in the garage (which was probably a flex hose) that was what it got. if you had to go buy a hose anyway and your car had an optional motor after the swap there was no reason to run a flex hose.

 

they are cool now BECAUSE they were used then.

 

I always preferred the smooth hose. When doing an engine swap would mock up a hose of flexible air duct or defroster hose and wrap it with duct tape so it would hold its shape. Then go to the parts store and compare till I found a match. Was only stymied once when swapping an Olds engine into a car with a Pontiac rad. Bottom rad hose had to go from the left side to the right side, did it with a smooth hose cut in 2 with 1 1/2 feet of steel in the middle.

 

Yes, absolutely, molded hoses have their place. So do Optimum red tops, MSD's on the inner fender, 750 dp's, and Performer RPM's.

 

Take it a step farther and look at peoples old picture books. Unlike me lots of people kept picture albums. I love to look at old albums and get a look at what hot rodding and biking was in laces other then Southern California. But pretty much across the board flex hose was king.

If I owned a small block powered '64 Chevelle post car I may look for the correct molded hose. That said, my '65 Galaxie FE car had flex hose.LOL

 

Just so people don't think I am being sarcastic, the first engine photo I posted with the molded hoses and MSD is my own vehicle (Benno knows this). Molded hoses DO have their place. Its just not on old hot rods, or on hot rods that are supposed to look old.

 

@falcongeorge. are you bringing historical facts and spreading the gospel? facts on the hamb are trumped by "the do what you like it's your car" motto lately.

 

Hey Scotty T, your quote at the bottom of your page says it all ....
KEEP IT SIMPLE, GET IT DONE

 

real facts and factoids are always trumped by alternative facts. LOL

Its kind of funny, I used to hot wire one of the Sosch kids cars and move it so the missus and I could park our '58 merc in his more desirable assigned spot when we were in high school. Our merc had blown a hose so we just took a flex hose out of our stuff and put it on (top hose). We went out for a smoke and a grope at lunch one day and found him with my hood up. he had purchased the proper top hose and was putting it on. I asked him what the hell he was doing and he said, "if you insist in parking in my spot you are going to run the proper radiator hose." I didn't know what to say so I just said, "Thank you."

 

.......................Why would we ever think that??!!

 

...........For whatever reason, I'm still amused by the angel hair wrapped around the headers on that Olds engine.

 

Is a schow car mang.

 

What you are missing is that most of the guys currently on the HAMB dislike "older builds". They hate channeled cars, wheelcovers on hot rods, cycle fenders, 4.11s, and pretty much everything else about older builds. Its just the way it is.

 

Imagine what it would smell like if you just fired it up without taking that stuff off!

 

maybe i had been eating some when i looked at one of those hoses. yum....

 

when and where i grew up wasn't exactly a hot bed of vintage hot rods. i started working on cars in the early to mid 80's, by then the auto parts stores had all the pre molded hoses you could imagine. whenever i saw a "universal" hose it was a cheap ass trying to save a dollar on his dodge dart.

 

Olds Rocket, Lincoln radiator, flex hose top and bottom, 1960. Nobody complained then, so...

 

Period correct.

 

That has always been my thought but like just about everyone else I have had to use "get by" flex hoses because I couldn't find a proper one or section of one that worked. Every time I opened the hood the thing glared right in my face but it's hard to find formed hoses with one end larger than the rest of the hose and both the correct size when you have a mismatch on the thermostat housing outlet and the radiator inlet.
Back in the 60's and 70's seeing them in photos of rods in magazines where a proper hose could have been used I always thought that the guy could have done better. Some like the twisted one in the photos on here don't give you much other choice because of the route you have to take to get from here to there.

 

................You really like to stir the pot don't you.

 

Norm used 'em:

 

I've seen photos of a few rods and customs where the owner had taken the time to bend, weld or somehow fabricate steel tubing (often chromed) connected at the ends to the car by short pieces of radiator hose and they always looked quite impressive. Never tried it myself, but it does look good.

 

i thought this thread would get a hand full of responses then disappear! i really like all the opinions and especially the pics. i'm leery to look at my old magazine rack (Mr Dean Lowe knows why). If any body cares enough to look here's a link to my Hemi Plymie build (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/48-hemi-plym-mock-up-pics.847329/ ), this car is the one car i have that this thread could apply to. it needs to be updated, but you'll get the gist. there are some modern touches but they will be hidden or at least down played enough to not be glaring you in the face.

 

I like that you said that you "preferred" one more than the other. That's a great way to contribute to one of these types of discussions. I think the OP has his answer and he can use whichever he chooses, though. Personally I have to use the flex hose because my engine makes SO MUCH torque. (I kiddin' HaHa)

You gave a good tip on how to make a protoshape hose. I'll also share one that I've used to make hard pipes for a turbo set up in the past. I used swimming pool, foam noodle and rubber cement to mock it up like in the photo below. For smaller diameter stuff, like a radiator hose, some of that foam freeze insulation for plumbing could be easily cut and glued or taped to size and shape. Then off to the auto parts store to find a match.

Peace out, people. A wise man once said.... "You can pick your hose and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose or hose."

 

This is actually a subject I was just starting to think about. There's really no chance I'll find hoses that will fit on my build since I've got a flathead in an A frame with what I think is an old sprint car radiator sitting ahead of the crossmember. Flex hoses are really the only way I'm going to get it all to work without expending time and luck I'd be better off using elsewhere.