A Chinese radiator in a Model A?!!!

As long as the part works well and the price is right , it makes no difference to me where it was made . I gotta look out for myself sometimes !!! I've got a slightly used aluminum radiator on one of my strip down model A's . The radiator was bought off of a 29 tudor that was being converted to a V8 hot rod , so I don't know where it was made . I don't drive the car every day but it has worked well for at least 12 years . It cools well , doesn't leak and I seldom need to add water . I've never used antifreeze in this radiator . I drain it in the coldest of winter and if I want to go for a ride on a nice day , I fill it with water and drain it before the next freeze . Winters are usually mild here .
 
maako said:
I have one in my 29 Roadster, it works very well here in Okinawa with all the stop and go traffic. It keeps the car running cool. It was a pain to get All the mounting holes drilled so the hood fit correctly. I think I paid $180.00 for it. I did paint it black because it is a high corrosion area were I live, salt water spray off the oceans, hot and humid in summer & wet winters.
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Hey maako,
Thanks for your input !
Did you have to modify anything on your model A for fit/finish ?

A model a bud has run one of these in his '30 coupe for a couple years now.
He gave me the info from ebay to order one. Haven't done that yet.
I ask him same questions as I ask you.
He said that only thing that he would advise and did, was to have the 'thin' foot area where tank bolted to front cross member, to have that reinforced somewhat. He said that his warmed up OHV B runs cool in SoCal weather.
 
It is a lot less expensive than our American made ones. Alum. is less expensive than brass, but the main cost in American products is the cost of labor, for those items that can't be made totally by machine. In my opinion the American ones that I have seen are works of art for the most part, with signs of quality workmanship. When I look at the one on ebay, especially the welds I gasp. As a former welding instructor in vocational school, any of my students that welded like those shown on EBAY would not have received a very good grade after being taught and having had the opportunity to practice. Just my opinion. If I just needed a radiator to run up and down the road as a driver I would first try to fix an original,
 
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I have one in my 28 Tudor and except for the mounting was a pain in the lower hose pipe not being correct it is fine.
The lower hose isn’t that far off enough to leak though. That is it doesn’t in mine anyways.
Overall the craftsmanship is pretty rough in my opinion but it keeps my car cool and if flows well. Don’t have the flow numbers but it does flow well.
I did paint mine satin black on the outside to cover the shiny aluminum. Other than that the drain tube just kind of bounces around and you have to attach it somehow to the radiator so it doesn’t rattle. And as far as you get what you pay for comes true with this item but I did not have the $800 for a new brass works radiator so for now this one works for me until I can get one of those.

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I ordered and paid for a Chinese radiator, ex China (This probably 6 years ago) and when it didn't arrive some time later, had to resort to blackmail (threatened to give bad feedback etc., on EBay) to get my money refunded.
I then purchased a US made aluminium radiator which had the wrong neck size and wrong thread plus incorrectly located mounts at the bottom. Being in New Zealand it was impractical to send it back, so had to pay for modifications to get it to fit.
It has since proven very effective and the engine runs too cool most of the time even with a restrictor in the top pipe
 
Paul Bjarnason said:
I was checking out radiators on Ebay and found this. What does everyone think of this radiator?



https://www.ebay.com/i/121491925180?ul_noapp=true


Somehow, it seems un-American to put a Chinese radiator in a Model A, but it does look nice.

No flaming, please, for my asking the question! LOL
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Not going to get into the un-American thing. Not much of what I buy at Walmart these days is American.
Concerning ebay........I have dealt with their "eBay Money back guarantee" and it has never failed. If your concern is getting stiffed by a company in china, not going to happen on ebay. If your concern is fit and function, no way of knowing other than biting the bullet and buying the darn thing and installing it! Sadly if it works great and ya just don't like the look of it, that is not covered by the eBay Money back guarantee! Kind of a quandry!
 
OK, everyone, I did it -- I ordered a Chinese radiator for my '29 Tudor and it arrived yesterday. It looks good and the measurements appear to be right. I will install it in a few weeks, but so far, I am happy with the 3-core radiator with the stock threaded filler neck, for $350. Bj
 
there were several of these aluminium radiators in vehicles at a local hot rod meet. I asked the owners their findings and the common answer was they cooled better being aluminium but needed rework so as to fit.
 
The radiator I have purchased from China has the same dimensions and brackets as the old radiator which I took off the car. Should fit right in with no rework of anything. Also has the threaded filler neck, for the stock radiator cap.
 
Put a replacement aluminum radiator on my 91 Dodge Dakota,. Ran too cool, took forever to warm up! LOL Just used normal green anti-freeze with no issues. Point being made, you may need to install a thermostat. :)
 
Paul Bjarnason said:
The radiator I have purchased from China has the same dimensions and brackets as the old radiator which I took off the car. Should fit right in with no rework of anything. Also has the threaded filler neck, for the stock radiator cap.
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Any update on the install and fit of the radiator?

Not a fan of these, but I may have to go that way to get my 29 Tudor on the road
 
The only thing that I've had to do when installing a repro radiator was to slightly increase the size of some of the bolt holes where the radiator shell mounts .
 
California Travieso said:
M2M,

I found one by entering "Aluminum radiator for 1930 Ford Model A" in the search function at the top of the page.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/56MM-FOR-F...948462?hash=item1c5c9e15ee:g:KSsAAOSweuxWRAH3

Interestingly enough, they have a warehouse in San Bernardino, CA which is about 15 miles from my house! Delivery should not be a problem.

David Serrano
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In one of the 2 reviews on that radiator someone said it doesn't fit and wanted their money back. Also, unlike the other one mentioned previously, it says it's "56mm" rather than "70mm".
 
Ladiato fo Moder A for $279?
seem rike good deal.
rooks ok and may work good, but if probrem china rong way to send back.


But seriously Aluminum radiators are in many hot rods.
A coat of flat black and no one would know.
But I would pass.
 
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