Need a Radiator

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1969_Valiant

1969_Valiant

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
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Location
Philly, PA
My radiator is totally shot. Any recommendations for a decent company to go with, or horrible ones to avoid? Thanks I appreciate your help.
 
I have a Modine for a 70-2 A body that I bought from autozone in mine. What engine is in your Valiant?
 
I got mine from Champion and was pleased with the whole process. Very helpful folks to figure out what would fit.
 
Sedanman said:
I have a Modine for a 70-2 A body that I bought from autozone in mine. What engine is in your Valiant?
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Slant 3.7 225. Sorry. Forgot to list that. I see an all aluminum 1 online for about $150. Seems like a good deal, but I'm wondering if it's too good of a deal, aka it's not a deal because it's junk.
 
The pricing sounds about right. I paid a little over $200 for mine, but I also upgraded to a V-8 3-core, that was a fair bit wider. Mine went in a 66 Valiant /6. Quality was quite good, finish was nicely polished, everything was straight, etc. Nothing here not to like. I also got the overflow bottle to go with it. Since I put it in, my temp gauge hasn't moved off the mark where the thermostat opens, no matter what the outdoor temps or driving conditions.
 
halfafish said:
The pricing sounds about right. I paid a little over $200 for mine, but I also upgraded to a V-8 3-core, that was a fair bit wider. Mine went in a 66 Valiant /6. Quality was quite good, finish was nicely polished, everything was straight, etc. Nothing here not to like. I also got the overflow bottle to go with it. Since I put it in, my temp gauge hasn't moved off the mark where the thermostat opens, no matter what the outdoor temps or driving conditions.
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Thanks for the replies. I'll look into a few more and make a decision. And about the overflow tank......why didn't they come with one when they were manufactured? I was thinking about adding one. Any suggestions for that? Thanks again.
 
Not all radiators or vehicles came with an overflow tank. My factory unit did not. I wanted one so I added it on, also from Champion. It wasn't much, maybe $30 or so? It looks good and keeps from puking radiator fluid on the driveway. Measure your vertical area carefully before ordering one. I got a 13" tall unit that I was able to fit, but clearance was close. There are tubes on the bottom of the bottle that stick down about 2" which increases clearance needs, although the tubes could easily be trimmed for length. Here's a shot as it looks with the overflow installed on the driver side of the radiator.

20160909_200746.jpg
 
The upper tank was wider to make up for not having an overflow tank.
 
$150 is a great price for aluminum. Some are priced $400. Aluminum is much lighter and cools better. But it does corrode faster, so do all you can. I am slowly converting all my cars to Evans Waterless coolant since I hate corrosion. Some say you need to electrically isolate an aluminum radiator, which is one suggested reason why most factory ones today have plastic reservoirs and mounts (I don't know). If you can mount it with rubber isolators so it doesn't electrically contact the body, that would only help. I have bought aluminum heater cores and radiators that come with a disclaimer that stray electrical currents can cause them to corrode thru in a few weeks, and they aren't responsible. Perhaps lawyer talk, but take it to heart.
 
BillGrissom said:
$150 is a great price for aluminum. Some are priced $400. Aluminum is much lighter and cools better. But it does corrode faster, so do all you can. I am slowly converting all my cars to Evans Waterless coolant since I hate corrosion. Some say you need to electrically isolate an aluminum radiator, which is one suggested reason why most factory ones today have plastic reservoirs and mounts (I don't know). If you can mount it with rubber isolators so it doesn't electrically contact the body, that would only help. I have bought aluminum heater cores and radiators that come with a disclaimer that stray electrical currents can cause them to corrode thru in a few weeks, and they aren't responsible. Perhaps lawyer talk, but take it to heart.
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That electrical disclaimer is crazy. Never would even think of that. About the corrosion, I thought aluminum is much LESS corrosive than most other metals. For that reason, the cooling properties and weight, I was leaning towards an aluminum.

Either way, temp is below freezing now where I am, so I have to get it done ASAP. Can't afford to pay for a gallon of anti-freeze a day :eek:. Thanks again for all of the advice. Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving and good luck with your rides.
 
Hey all. Well, I have good news and bad news.......... Good news is that I dropped $300 on parts for my car, and most should be installed within the next week or so. Bad news is that none of it was for a radiator and its below freezing now in Philly. However, more good news is that a mechanic friend of mine told me not to order 1 yet because his pop's shop has a bunch of rads and he might be able to hook me up with 1.

So my question to you all is, what factory radiators will mount easily into my 69 Valiant? I need a radiator with the trans cooler line. Upper house is in the center and lower house is under the alternator(right side of car if you are driving it). If there is one that will bolt right in and I have to change houses, that's nbd. My lower is beat anyway.

If any of you can list correct factory part numbers that will work with little to no mods, it would be a huge help in trying to see if he has a good match for me. Once again, thanks for the accurate info. You guys are always a big help to me.
 
Factory part numbers are pretty much irrelevant at this point -- you can't buy them any more, and of those few factory-part-numbered radiators that still exist, most of them are at least as dead as the one in your car.

If you're planning on keeping the car awhile, cheap parts have a way of costing more than expensive ones in the long run. How good a radiator do you want, and what's your budget? Are you looking for any ol' radiator that'll get the car back on the road as quickly and cheaply as possible? Or can/will you spend the money to not have to think about the radiator again for a decade or more?
 
Hi Dan. I remember you from slantsix.org. Thanks for all of the help.

I understand. Yes, I want to keep the car for as long as possible. It's my daily driver. I thought I would gamble with one that my friend has though. He would probably charge me about $50. If I'm buying a new one, I don't think I want to pay more than $200. Thanks again.
 
Yeah, that thing looks sweet but $200 is a stretch for me now. Just can't do 4. I noticed that my trans cooler line is on the opposite side, next to the lower radiator hose. Also, My upper radiator hose is more centered, closer to the cap. If you had a replica built, I'm guessing the design was changed a few years later. Just curious if you know when the change was made.
 
I see a bunch of 1970(ish) V8 all-aluminum radiators on ebay for less than $150. Is it possible to swap out hoses and use one of these designs in my slant? I'm thinking that the price is right, aluminum has a couple of advantages, it should cool better since it's larger(and aluminum) and I can install the new hoses myself(assuming that I get the right part #s:)) without much added cost. If anyone can confirm, I would appreciate it. Thanks a lot.
 
1969_Valiant said:
Yeah, that thing looks sweet but $200 is a stretch for me now. Just can't do 4. I noticed that my trans cooler line is on the opposite side, next to the lower radiator hose.
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Your radiator and mine and every other radiator with a trans cooler in it has two trans cooler line connections.

Also, My upper radiator hose is more centered, closer to the cap. If you had a replica built, I'm guessing the design was changed a few years later.
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Yes, mine was made for my '62. It would fit '60-'62 A-bodies. Next group would be '63-'64 A-bodies (and hose locations differ for \6 versus V8 engine). Next group would be '65-'66, then '67-'72, then '73-'76.
 
I got your reply on the /6 site, thanks. So if I'm going to spend $200, do I get the KKS design for my slant, or go for the Champion V8 upgrade as mentioned above???? I'm thinking about keeping it simple with the KKS, but cooler is better and I like the overflow tank idea. The hoses I can deal with, but I don't want to mess with the trans lines.
 
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