1957 Ford Fairlane 292 CID Radiator

shew01

shew01

Well-known member
I recently purchased a 1957 Ford Fairlane with a 292 engine, and the radiator appears shot. (The car overheats at low speeds, likely because of an old solder repair that plugs up lots of the fins, and the radiator appears to be full of stop leak.)

Two mechanics have advised me to replace the radiator instead of attempting to repair it. However, I haven't had any luck finding a replacement radiator. One complicating issue is that the passenger side of the radiator support, including one of the radiator anchor bolts, is rusted quite a bit. If I remove the radiator, that action will very likely damage the radiator support, possibly to the point that it will no longer hold the radiator stable. I found a replacement radiator support online for $500, but I really don't want to replace that part if I can avoid it.

Questions:

Where should I be looking for a replacement radiator? I would like to keep the car as close to original as practical. (If the "period correct" replacement radiator is going to cost more than $400, I am open to some else, like an aluminum radiator.)

Is there a way to repair the radiator support without replacing it?

This is my first antique car, so, I'm new at this. Is there a better way to handle this whole repair/replacement of the radiator and the radiator support?
 
I bought a "US Radiator" (apparently not of US manufacture) off of e-Bay and have had horrible luck with it; I have had to remove it and have the solder joints redone 3 times. (side mounting pieces, the overflow tube, and the tank seams). The solder used is apparently of poor grade. I recommend using the tanks off of the existing radiator and have a local shop replace the core with a modern design. The new design has larger tubes and a more efficient array of fins. There are also aluminum options some of which look pretty close to the original, if painted, and cost less than brass/copper; under $200.

As for the core support, you can do a lot of repair by cutting out rusted metal and welding in new metal pieces. If this is beyond your capability, take it out (easier said than done) and take it to a body shop that is good with rust repair. A sheet metal shop could also do the job if they are willing to bother. You can do a lot of repair for under $500.

I would take a few minutes to verify that the timing marks are correct also. Sometimes the rubber mounted Harmonic dampener slips causing a false reading when setting the ignition timing. A retarded condition will also over heating. To do this, remove #1 plug and assure that it is at top dead center. Then verify that the 0 degree mark is lined up with the pointer.

Good luck.
 
If you do get a new radiator, you might want to give the engine a good internal flushing, change the thermostat, and make sure the water pump propeller fins aren't rusted away.
 
I would look for a brass radiator first, but if you can have yours re-cored, that works. Auto City Classic has a nice aluminum one, looks factory in the picture, Champion makes one too. Like anything on an old car, you have to dig for parts.

As far as the core support hardware, break it off if you have to. Replacement j-nuts are available even at Ace Hardware.
 
You need a real radiator shop,,try "Henry's Radiator Shop" , in Beckley, not too far away,,,304-253-9662,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they do gas tanks too.
 
bobss396 said:
I would look for a brass radiator first, but if you can have yours re-cored, that works. Auto City Classic has a nice aluminum one, looks factory in the picture, Champion makes one too. Like anything on an old car, you have to dig for parts.

As far as the core support hardware, break it off if you have to. Replacement j-nuts are available even at Ace Hardware.
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Thanks for the Champion and Auto City Classic leads. These radiators look much more promising that the few I found earlier. Have you actually purchased any of there radiators? Are their products likely to be of good quality?


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ponymare said:
If you do get a new radiator, you might want to give the engine a good internal flushing, change the thermostat, and make sure the water pump propeller fins aren't rusted away.
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Yup. I totally agree. I'm still collecting parts. I have the thermostat, gasket, upper, and lower hoses. I'm toying with changing the water pump while it's all apart.


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scrapiron said:
You need a real radiator shop,,try "Henry's Radiator Shop" , in Beckley, not too far away,,,304-253-9662,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they do gas tanks too.
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Thanks for the contact. It turns out that we don't have any real radiator shops left here anymore. I haven't had any need for radiator work in 30 years. In that time span, most of the shops shutdown. The one really good shop (in the past) only does replacements now.


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shew01 said:
Thanks for the Champion and Auto City Classic leads. These radiators look much more promising that the few I found earlier. Have you actually purchased any of there radiators? Are their products likely to be of good quality?

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Click to expand...

I've never heard anything bad about a ACC radiator. I've bought glass from them. Match up your radiator with the picture on their site.

I have a Champion in my '59 for about 1000 miles and I like it.
 
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