I have been looking for a radiator for my Ford 28-29 shell and I have seen the walkers and Griffins for over six hundred. On EBay there are radiators for 199.00 Hs anybody bought one of these? Are they Chinese made? I have heard of using a 64-66 Mustang radiator which I can get from Napa for about 250. I welcome opinions, experiences and suggestions( about the radiator)!
Yes, they are Chinese made. I bought one for a Model T a few years ago from suncoastdeals (I think thats what they went by), it looked pretty good but I never ran it so don't know how well it worked....
Spend the money one time,you will be happier in the end.Brassworks has a nice alliance discount . Just bought one and it is top quality! Rob
Walkers are expensive but they are the best in my opinion and they last. I have used the Griffin Aluminum,Babb & U S Radiator with mixed results. I have 4 hot rods and everyone of them have Walker Radiators.The '54 Wagon that was just completed,,my '32 pickup that has been on the road for about 5 years now,,the one in my 5window is over 30 years old and the one in my sedan is 15 years old. I've never had a problem with a Walker Radiator,,yeah,they are pricey but they last,,I can't say that for some I have had. HRP
I bought a Champion for my 55. If you click the Broken Rods logo in my signature, there's a couple pictures where you can see it in my engine bay. It was something like $260, and it came with a 16" electric fan (which I didn't use). It's made in America, and is unbeatable for the price. It's not show quality, but a little time with a polishing wheel would bring it up nicely. The high dollar radiators look a little nicer from the get go, but I can't justify the extra $400. For a driver, there is no reason to spend more.
I went with evil bay on 2 aluminum radiators and one cross flow and one vertical. Both American made and with no epoxie filler. This is important to make sure your purchase is all welds. I have no issues and there are china made and they usualy have the epoxie type fillers and are sub standard. Close attention to the product and construction is necessary and I made a phone call to the company prior to buying.I got a good product at a good price .
I have now in my cars, a BeCool, a Griffith, and a American Brassworks, none cheap, all work well and fit good. I have attempted to buy a Walker but the folks who answer the tele there for tech questions are, uh, less then polite and deserve to have thier yeast infection looked at! I have heard they are decent quality but I will not buy from folks who talk down to the customer, period.
I bought one of the chinaman ones. They had missed the seam when they welded the filler neck on, but we welded that up and I had a radiator shop here pressure test it. He said it was fine. Another guy here has one in a 32 with a blown 354 and it doesn't get over about 175*.
I put one of the Champions in my OT muscle car and it has been great, my car is not a babied trailer queen, and after (3) seasons since I built the car, the radiator has worked great... was about $250 and included an electric fan... Tom
I just bought as champion for my 58 with a fan for 249 shipped, the third one i have bought over the years, You cant beat them for the price
I bought one for my low buck 32 Ford Fordor. It was already set up for the Chevy motor and fit perfect. I cleaned it real well with wax & grease remover and painted it with high heat BBQ black so it would look "traditional". For a mild motor or driver they are great for the price.
I bought a chopped T radiator on ebay the guy was from greater Detroit area. when radiator arrived I was amazed how big box was. I opened it and could see it wasn't right but was amazed how nice it was. I called and they apologized up down and sideways somehow their end screwed up and sent a T bird radiator they immediately replaced with correct radiator and it had the same great workmanship. not sure if guy is still selling in ebay, and sadly don't remember shops name but price was very good and a good product!
My dad bought one for his Roadrunner off of eBay for $180 I think, not sure where it was made but looked real good and has held up well for the last couple years. Not sure where it was made. Buy one from someone with lots of good feedback. eBay is always on the buyer's side, so a radiator dealer is not going to rack up thousands of positives if they're selling junk. I'm happy to pay more for something that's good quality but $600-$800 for a radiator is outrageous.
I just wanted to say thanks to everybody, I am buying a Champion. Good price 245.00 delivered. Three core. All welded aluminum
I just purchased an aluminum three core for my 53 effie from radiators 4 less from ebay and forgot to ask about how thick it was with the electric fan and shroud, decided it wouldn't clear my 460. The guy at tech support was more than helpful and VERY friendly, he desolved the sale, no problem and just asked me to come back if I found out it would work. I was impressed with the way they handled the situation. They seem to stand behind their product too. It was a good buy, less than half of the 'big boys' radiators
Give champion a call. some of the things they carry arent on the website or they will make it for you. The customer support there is great. I couldnt find one for a flathead in a 28 shell. called them up and got one sent to me within the week. fits great and no complaints so far
I found an aluminium radiator on E---,looked good, price was right and shortly thereafter saw a booth set up by the same company at a car show. Got to see the radiator up close and personal, long story short, after much searching I bought one of theirs. Tech was very helpfull, always had time to talk to me, stated that if it didn't fit or work as advertised, to just send it back on their nickel and they would make it right. I have no complaints what-so-ever. Company name is Bryce Thomas radiators( BTR ) in Gadsden, Alabama.
I bought two radiators for my Model A's from Brice Thomas Radiators in Alabama and will buy again when I need one. They make their products so modifications are possible. Not too pricey. Check 'em at www.cgj.com.
I bought a 64-66 three row off of Ebay for $125 almost four years ago & it hasn't missed a beat. It handles my 283 quite well, without an electrical fan. The seller was called "radiator doctor," out of California, if I remember correctly. The very NEXT DAY, I'm out in then garage & this little car pulls up & stops. I thought the guy was lost, so I walked out to greet him & offer him assistance. He says that he's not lost...he has my radiator! Apparently, there is some sort of warehouse right near me. I still have the receipt that says "1-800-Radiator" on it. For what it's worth, there's a Lifetime Warranty on it, providing it's flushed once a year. I never saw any country of origin stamp on it, to be honest.
I have one of the ford model A units with chevy hose connections from suncoast deals on fleabay, works great (in fact a little too good!) can hardly get the engine up to 180 degrees unless I am stuck in traffic. I have my electric fan set to come on at 195. All welded no epoxy.
I think this is the one I bought. It looks identical to mine. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALL-ALUMINU...ies&hash=item1c1fc04e4d&vxp=mtr#ht_3878wt_689
I bought one of those about 6-7 years ago (radiatorsusa.com IIRC) for about $100. I think they contract local shops to build them, but I'm not sure
Got one off Ebay for my daily driver '55 Chevy pickup, mildly rodded SBC w/ Vintage Air A/C - never a problem even idling in the August heat with the AC on full blast.
i bought a "champion" "bolt in" rad for my 54 plymouth. all i had to do was completely remove all brackets and re tig new ones on, then plasma cut a relief for the petcock. bolt in my ass. but it does seem to work good, now. for the price........
Had the same dilemma a while back, and ended up finding a price compromise - not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either. Cam from Brice Thomas Radiator (via ebay). Can't say yet how well it works, but it's sure a nice looking radiator, and is made in USA.
I bought a champion from a guy on ebay. Turned out he was selling them out of his garage about a 1/2 mile from my house, showed up paid cash. Dirt cheap and works excellent.