Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: Moparnut426]
#3138964
04/18/23 11:15 AM
04/18/23 11:15 AM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,527 PA
moparacer
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master
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What are you trying to cool?Do you have original brass tanks? It's hard to beat the efficiency of an aluminum core with a copper brass core. Copper brass is considerably more expensive now. I would take a good quality copper brass if originality and exact fit is a concern too.
Been in the radiator business for 35 years and my advice it that if you have good solid original tanks, take it to a radiator shop and have them recore it with a QUALITY high efficiency core with 5/8 tubes on a 3/8 center and around 14 fins per inch if you are not pushing the horsepower limits.
Reason I say quality is that just like everything else, there are good and bad core mfgs out there too. And the good ones are becoming fewer and fewer due to everyone wanting cheap.
67 Barracuda street/bracket car 11.27-119 68 Dart 502 BB 8.70s-152 414 cid SB Dragster 7.65-174
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: moparacer]
#3138978
04/18/23 12:00 PM
04/18/23 12:00 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,013 Finally a HUSKER again
Moparnut426
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OP
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What are you trying to cool?Do you have original brass tanks? It's hard to beat the efficiency of an aluminum core with a copper brass core. Copper brass is considerably more expensive now. I would take a good quality copper brass if originality and exact fit is a concern too.
Been in the radiator business for 35 years and my advice it that if you have good solid original tanks, take it to a radiator shop and have them recore it with a QUALITY high efficiency core with 5/8 tubes on a 3/8 center and around 14 fins per inch if you are not pushing the horsepower limits.
Reason I say quality is that just like everything else, there are good and bad core mfgs out there too. And the good ones are becoming fewer and fewer due to everyone wanting cheap.
Unfortunately, there is no good, or even bad radiator shops around me anymore Ill doo some research....
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: Moparnut426]
#3138982
04/18/23 12:14 PM
04/18/23 12:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,049 MN
JERICOGTX
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I Live Here
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MN
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If you want an original looking type Radiator, Auto City Classics in Minnesota has what you are looking for. I have no clue if they are made in America though. I've bought two radiators from them, and have no issues. The one in my Road Runner was powder coated, and painted, and looks fairly stock. https://www.autocityclassic.com/radiators/
Last edited by JERICOGTX; 04/18/23 12:15 PM.
69 GTX
68 Road Runner
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: JERICOGTX]
#3139016
04/18/23 02:34 PM
04/18/23 02:34 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,527 PA
moparacer
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master
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PA
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So are you OK with an aluminum or no? Aluminum will always be the most efficient due to the way the fins are attached to the tubes.
I have looked at those Glenn Ray radiators before. $1400 seems like a lot but for me to recore a BB B body radiator with a high efficiency core like I described above would be close to 1100 I bet. The original Big Block B Body radiators were 3 Rows of 5/8 tubes on 9/16 centers. That core had around an 80 percent thermal efficiency. If you have that core made on 3/8 tube centers, you get 23 more tubes per row, which means you almost have as many tubes as the original if it was a 4 row, and the thermal efficiency goes over 90 percent. Its the most efficient factory sized radiator you can make IMO.
Don't waste your time with any 1/2" tube radiator core or anything that has a tube center over 9/16"......
They work fine for grandmas valiant with a slant 6 in it, but not for anything performance minded.
Last edited by moparacer; 04/18/23 04:14 PM.
67 Barracuda street/bracket car 11.27-119 68 Dart 502 BB 8.70s-152 414 cid SB Dragster 7.65-174
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: moparacer]
#3139237
04/19/23 11:07 AM
04/19/23 11:07 AM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,013 Finally a HUSKER again
Moparnut426
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OP
I Live Here
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So are you OK with an aluminum or no? Aluminum will always be the most efficient due to the way the fins are attached to the tubes.
I have looked at those Glenn Ray radiators before. $1400 seems like a lot but for me to recore a BB B body radiator with a high efficiency core like I described above would be close to 1100 I bet. The original Big Block B Body radiators were 3 Rows of 5/8 tubes on 9/16 centers. That core had around an 80 percent thermal efficiency. If you have that core made on 3/8 tube centers, you get 23 more tubes per row, which means you almost have as many tubes as the original if it was a 4 row, and the thermal efficiency goes over 90 percent. Its the most efficient factory sized radiator you can make IMO.
Don't waste your time with any 1/2" tube radiator core or anything that has a tube center over 9/16"......
They work fine for grandmas valiant with a slant 6 in it, but not for anything performance minded. Im looking at a few and I cant see any with 9/16, or 5/8, I found one on summits site with 1/2" tube sizes,
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: Moparnut426]
#3139268
04/19/23 12:23 PM
04/19/23 12:23 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 12,013 Finally a HUSKER again
Moparnut426
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OP
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I just got off the phone with Glen-Ray, Im sending them my 053 22" radiator, and hes doing the max cool core in it. I figured for a grand, I can buy "the best" of the best aluminum radiator, but still have the look I dont want, I wont have the correct number on the radiator, and I still could have a heating issues since I cant find an aluminum radiator built like the Glen-Ray core is. I plan on really driving this thing anywhere, so Im just gonna get a good one.
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: Moparnut426]
#3139270
04/19/23 12:31 PM
04/19/23 12:31 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,385 Las Vegas
Al_Alguire
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I Live Here
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Las Vegas
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Want the nest C&R racing radiators. Can make you anything you want.
"I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know."
"It's never wrong to do the right thing"
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: Moparnut426]
#3139450
04/20/23 09:31 AM
04/20/23 09:31 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,404 Marion, South Carolina [><]
an8sec70cuda
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I Live Here
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Marion, South Carolina [><]
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Very happy w/ my Griffin radiator. Not cheap though.
CHIP '70 hemicuda, 575" Hemi, 727, Dana 60 '69 road runner, 440-6, 18 spline 4 speed, Dana 60 '71 Demon, 340, low gear 904, 8.75 '73 Chrysler New Yorker, 440, 727, 8.75 '90 Chevy 454SS Silverado, 476" BBC, TH400, 14 bolt '06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Duramax
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Re: Best USA made radiator, Who makes them??
[Re: an8sec70cuda]
#3139498
04/20/23 12:40 PM
04/20/23 12:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,585 Motor City
6PKRTSE
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master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,585
Motor City
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I had a custom aluminum rad made to resemble the stock radiator for my stock looking (sort of) theme. Came with shroud and dual electric fans. Bolts in stock core support bolt holes. Keeps my high horsepower 528" Hemi cooler on the street than any of my closer to stock street cars run at temp wise. Added -20 inlet and outlets with a -6 to the over flow.
Last edited by 6PKRTSE; 04/20/23 12:41 PM.
1963 Belvedere 440 Max Wedge Tribute 1970 Charger R/T S.E. 440 Six Pack 1970 Challenger R/T, 528 Hemi 1970 Charger 500 S.E. 440 4 BBL 1970 Plymouth Road Runner 383 1974 Chrysler New Yorker 440 1996 2500 RAM 488 V-10 4X4 2004 3500 Dually Cummins 4x4 2012 Challenger R/T Classic.
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