Replacement radiator suggestions

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qwk dust

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Well, I just found out from the radiator shop that my original radiator out of our '74 318 A/C car is shot and would cost several hundred dollars to repair so I am looking to replace it with a reasonably priced stock style radiator. The car is an a/c car so it had the 26" heavy duty radiator. I want to use my original shroud and fan so I would like an original style radiator and really don't want to have to fab up any brackets. Even thought an aftermarket radiator will not be true original looking I would like to keep the overall original look so we really are not looking at aluminum units. We are building a relatively hot little teen for the car so I do want good cooling. What do you guys suggest? It looks like Advance Auto Parts and the like have replacement 2 row radiators and more than likely that would be fine but if there is a good reasonably priced 3 row set up I would like to check that out. As you can see we are in Fl so cooling is important. All suggestions are appreciated.Thanks!
 
The 2 row 26 inch radiater with shroud was supposed to be sufficent for most passenger car applications even with a/c. I'd have to try the Advance Auto replacement first.
 
just recore it and be done with it......with the money you will spend on a new one you would only be about 100 short for a recore. recores are way better than stock, with bigger tubes and more rows of tubes to boot!
 
My radiator guy said my poor ol radiator was so shot that it would be about $400 to weld up the tanks, recore etc. That seems pretty darn steep just to keep the stock radiator even though it would be a high flow 3 row set up. Aren't there any reasonably priced 3 row set ups out there?
I bet that a good Advanced Auto replacement would be just fine but I would like to see if there are any other cost effective options out there.
 
My Pakistani or Indonesian replacement that I bought from Advance Auto two months ago had slag and weldment blocking a lot of the cores. Soooo, total cost was $185 for a pos 2 core replacement from Advance and $300 to have it made into a quality 3 core.
 
thanks for the posts everyone. I had read tomt966's thread but last I looked at it he had no solution. Glad you tracked down the problem. Now I need to figure out what to do. I had basically decided to just get a NAPA/Advance/Autozone 26" replacement with a 2 row and be done with it. My radiator guys price isn't looking so bad especially after looking at USradiators prices.
 
Year One's got replacement style rad's that look stock, but they are all 3 row. They are in the $300 range...

Just an FYI - DeGood's radiator here in Kalamazoo did a friend of mines OEM 22" recore to a 3 row for $240. $400 seems a little steep, even for a 26".
 
Beatnik said:
Year One's got replacement style rad's that look stock, but they are all 3 row. They are in the $300 range...

Just an FYI - DeGood's radiator here in Kalamazoo did a friend of mines OEM 22" recore to a 3 row for $240. $400 seems a little steep, even for a 26".
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it all depends on the type of core they use. remember you pay for what you get. bigger tubes and tighter rows are the way to go. bigger tubes with tighter rows of tubes will outcool a 3 or 4 row core radiator anyday. all of the radiators i have had recored all have rows only 1/4" inch apart and tubes are hugh in size. cools like a champ with the stock clutch fan and shroud. cost was around $400.00 for 22" inch...
 
The $400 price was because my 26" radiator needed the tanks welded, recored, overflow tube rewelded on etc. That also included the 3 row set up. I really do think that given our set up a stock heavy duty a/c 2 row will be ok. I just wanted to see if there was a good alternative.
 
qwk dust - my solution was a 3 core and dilute the anti-freeze from some value greater than -45 to -10.
 
I got mine from quanta also,they use U.S. radiator radiators out of cal. if i remember right.3 core and you will never have to wory about cooling problems.
 
I used an aluminum double pass on my Duster but running lots more cubes.... was only about $225 off e-bay....
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A 2 row might work, -but-, might not too, considering you're runnin air con.
If it doesnt you'll be unhappy and then spend even more to refix it.
Mopar Action put a local discount 3row replacement in their Savoy and found that the new core had smaller tubes than the original, it was like the new 3 row wasnt any better than the old 2 row. (Mop Actn Aug/2007)
Keep up the search for a new 3 row or find a good salvagable unit and have it recored with a high efficiency core.
 
It was an a/c car but it is being removed. I am still looking for the best option.
 
7demon2 said:
just recore it and be done with it......with the money you will spend on a new one you would only be about 100 short for a recore. recores are way better than stock, with bigger tubes and more rows of tubes to boot!
Click to expand...

You can buy a brand new one with a life time guarantee from Advance Auto for $209.

I am running one of the Advance Auto Ready Radiators in my 68 Barracuda. It is a 22" 2 core heavy duty unit and with a stoutly built 360 I have no cooling issues at all. And with the life time guarantee I will never have to pay for another one.

I would not worry about a 3 core unit. The factory 340/360 v8 AC radiator was a 2-core.
 
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