radiator

49fordv8f4

49fordv8f4

Senior Member
I have a question for the board, I hope this is the appropriate place to post this. I need to have a radiator recored for my '49 F4 truck. I have a number of radiators that I can sell for scrap to fund my radiator repair. I have several '42-'48 V8 car radiators, '42-'52 V8 truck radiators, a '53 V8 truck radiator and a couple of Model A radiators. Several of the radiators are complete and have decent looking tanks and frames.
My question is should I save the better looking ones and try to sell them as a rebuildable core or should I just scrap them all? I don't know if exact duplicate radiators are available for these years, if so they may be cheaper than rebuilding an old one.
Thanks, Mark Poley
 
If you have any good radiator shops in your area, take the best looking one for the 48-52 and see what a recore would be using your upper and lower tanks. The new ones may or may not be an exact copy and the core may be thinner than the original. You won't know which way to go until you shop around. Use that price to compare to a new radiator. Don't forget shipping costs if you get one from a repo seller online. Just my 2 cents.......
 
Mark, I agree, never throw (scrap) away anything. As for repops, there is nothing sold today to my knowledge that favorably compares with original parts, and that goes for radiators also. I'm sure it would be simpler to just scrap them out, but post an ad and support the hobby! :)
 
HAve a good hunt around for prices but moreso the right person to recore.
I just had my 35 pickup recored [with a modern CT core]here in Oz and it cost me $825. That was a good price normally around $1100. to do it. We dont have competion here there seems to be only one supplier of cores.
Having trouble getting up to temp now... Great for summer coming though ; o P
DOnt throw anything out!
 
Thanks for all the replies. I will save the best looking ones and probably scrap the rest. The ones I will scrap are in pretty bad shape. I won't scrap any that look rebuildable.
Thanks again, Mark
 
The radiator core can be manufactured by anyone that has the right equipment since the tubing and the fin materials are still available. The tanks & frames are harder to manufacture so the price is high on new radiators. If the tanks & frames are in decent shape, a person has a good salvageable core. If the tanks & frames are thin from corrosion and too damaged by rough handling then they are scrap.
 
I would scrap the cores and keep the tanks so they could be recored at another time as needed by a fellow V8'er. The core is what will bring you the cash, just mark the tanks for ID purposes and store them.
 
I used a three core rad from lmc trucks. Very happy with it. This is for my 1950 f1 with a built 265 motor. On a 90 degree day i could only get 150 temp. had to install thermostats. I believe i payed around 300 for it. This is all copper and brass. Looks like original
 
Use your sawzall and remove the cores and sweat the side straps and bottom off, save upper and lower tanks. Tank outlets are often needed. Do the same for Model A radiators and give the tank and straps to Bergs radiators for recoring.
 
Thanks for all the replies. nospartsman, Where is Bergs Radiators, do you have their contact info? I would like to see someone get some use from them.
Thanks again, Mark
 
36 Flathead, Thanks for the tip on LMC. I ordered one from them on Mon. this week and received it on wed., very good looking radiator. Just shy of 300.00 delivered, it was going to cost about 500.00 to recore my old one.
Thanks again, Mark Poley
 
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