hot rod michelle-thats pretty cool, i mean some black paint and its not gunna look to bad, i just want it to be tall enough. and im worried about the grill shell straps mounting to a odd ball rad.i may go talk to him and see if he can maybe do something like you speak off, but ive got to stick with 2 core. otherwise my fan will hit. im not dealing with much room here. i sunk the motor back but not a whole lot. carcrazyjohn- i am kind of leaning that way. seems like a bit to shell out but whats the point of a cheaper rad if i hate it and take it out anyways.
I think that's a Hell of a good price. Ever try to weld a thin ass radiator tube? That takes a lot of skill. If you have the money, that's the way to go. I got lucky and found an old-time shop locally in Houston that fixed my Riv radiator for $60 when it sprung a leak. But what do I know, I drive a junky old Riviera, with airbags like customs have had since the late 50s.
I found one photo, the others got deleted somehow. My intention was to build a custom late 50s-early 60s style shell, starting with a '40(?) Plymouth shell. I sold the truck before finishing it. The truck was ugly anyway, but the radiator support was plenty strong, and a shroud would have hidden it.
i do not plan on welding on any radiator myself. not only no, but hell no. i am not that good. i get by on body and frame but i wont risk a radiator.a shop i visited before the one i mentioned wanted 400 just in parts. they said id be running at least 500 for them to do it, so i figured 300-400 is alot better. this is good tho, we have some ideas flowing and some options mentioned. iv been searching for info on what folks are using in the 29-29 for a radiator. everyone seems to have already had something so i havnt been able to get much info. i suppose i shall take all my stuff to the shop and see what he comes up with. he did build a radiator for another 28-29 that i know of, it looked okay but it im getting the impression he's going to be doing more work in mine to retain the original feel.
Yeah, those "old school Hambers" with Rivieras and Corvairs they bought from someone else know how to do it. Don't listen to that BS.
yeah richard, thats the same rad i was looking at,at the shop. that doesnt look to bad but my frame isnt all square and such. its all orignal so the mounting would be a bit tough, pluss the rad is i think 1 or 2 inches short.its fine if your cutting your shell and not running a hood top. but in my case im going to be running a hood top so chopping the shell is out of the question for me.
If i had the mold and the foundry..you bet your ass. cobble..? maybe thats something you do when your not sure where to buy something that bolts in. I didnt come here to play pissy pants with you..i just threw out, how i did it , for him and his budget. some of us dont have any gold chains Model A hooligan..that $375 sounds real good, and it will be done.
and that there is nothing wrong with that von rigg. i asked for suggestions and you gave one. its what i asked for. i like to hear about ALL options and the DIFFERENT things folks have done. hot rodding is about making stuff work.
i know that a full blown, inlet moved, fully polished brass 4 core w ac and spal fan(custom polished brass shroud), AND a fancy polished expansion tank costs from Brassworks....bout 15 hun and thats sending them your original 39 radiator to work with
Sometimes you do your best, and if it doesn't suit your taste, do it again. It's called LEARNING by DOING, not BUYING what you can't afford. Or get a four door wagon and put big dubs on it...just kidding! No offense...
i respect the learning and building and what-not, how else would i have gotten a far as i have. but i have learned alot here and i take that to my build and use it. i cant afford a realy nice rad but wanted to know if folks here thought the price to re-do mine was alot, and maybe hear some options and what other folks have done. please no bashing others cars guys, we all like that we like.
I got a quote today of $400.00 to recore my '30 'A' radiator. A new one is between $500 and $800. On a vehicle where the radiator is so prominent, I feel it is money well spent.
I used a ford 5000 radiator in my chevy. Would I do it again? No. I feel it is barely adequate for a v8. First off, how big is a 5000 tractor engine, 100 h.p.? Second, an industrial radiator i.e. tractor radiator is not nearly as efficient as an automobile rad. They have approximately half of the cooling fins as an auto. This is so they don't fill up with dirt as easily due to their working environment. Check the fin count in pics.
wow, that looks nothing like the ford 5000 radiator i have? that side mount and the picture 1 and 2 look nothing like what the side of my 5000 radator looks like..and my cooling tubes are way closer than whats pictured too. none of those mounting bosses are on a ford 5000 rad. the sides are clean..no mounts I wonder too, if that was a used radiator someone told you was a ford 5000 rad. and wasnt, and also if the core in it was any good? what did you finally install to cure your problem? If i remember rightly you werent sure of your pumps shape, and that you needed to direct some of your frontal air into the radiator , rather than around it. We know that all the frontal air you can direct thru your radiator helps, if it has a path of least resitance, it willl take it and not go thru your radiator core. around it, under it or along side of it..thus reducing any radiators ability to do its job, proper shouding, thermostat, timing.. also it might work well for a lighter smaller frontal area car like a model A, but not your heavier vehicle with a different frontal area, especially if its not all directed thru the core
Von Rigg, The first pic is a dodge radiator and really shouldn't have bee posted. The second one is the stock chevy rad, and the third is ford 5000. I got mine totally enclosed now and made the shroud a little deeper. I also threw on a new WP, unfortunately it's too cold outside to see if it's better. I'm hoping!
Ahh ok,, I was wondering if you got sold a lie. i see what your saying about the spacing on the core..mine looks different though.. I wish you luck, hope the pump and shroud and fit up help you out.. summer will tell...same for me. Mine should be on the road, so that will be the ultimate test
thanks skwurl, i acutaly contacted the seller and was able to get them, its a bit to short, the width would work. but its a bit to short, its better than the stang radaitor tho. the one youre running would be fine if i cut my shell about an inch.
I'd think a tractor radiator would be pretty efficient, since it's not traveling at high speeds on the highway. But I'm no thermodynamicyst(can't even spell it!)
They have new Aluminum rads on Evil bay for 200 and up. I got a nice one for my SBC delivered for 245 last spring. fit nice in my 34 plymouth.
Tractor radiators from 8N 9N family work fine for Model A hotrods.... Yesterdays tractors sell them at bargain prices...... http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/store/model_parts.cgi?SearchArea=FORD&&md=8N&cat=Cooling System&r=mcats The three core Part No: 8N8005-C for $129 is perfectly adequate.
Never heard of that before.... my kid has a 8N, I guess I will take a closer look. I am not building an A, but I want to check it out anyways
I would totally run one of those on an A, the pics are kinda hard to see, but they look a hellova lot better than a rustang unit. Another great tip!
The 8N and 9N has the lower outlet on the wrong side for a sbc but would work I guess in others.......
The radiator in my Avatar is an original '32 4-cylinder radiator. I had the bottom tank flipped, the outlet moved to the right hand side, (Chevy pump) and the hole sealed. It's still unpressurized (with an overflow tank) and cools the engine just fine...$125, done here in Florida. I figured, for that price, I'd give it a try. If it didn't cool, then I'd spring for something else. Runs 175 at idle, city driving, and cruising...just what the thermostat (Stock 55 DeSoto) is rated for. FWIW, the engine is a blown DeSoto Hemi...
The Jalopy Journal
