[DeTomaso] Radiators

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/1/11 8 04 0, michaelsavga at gmail.com writes:


> Things I know I'm going to do and therefore money that needs to be put 
> away.
> 
> Fluidyne Radiator $600.00
> 

Those things are very popular.   They are CHEAP and sexy-looking and many 
of the vendors carry them.

The problem is, they are totally disposable, and not particularly 
well-built.   It's not uncommon for them to start leaking.   Just yesterday I was 
hanging around at a friend's house, and his five-year-old Fluidyne radiator had 
sprung a leak.   There is no way to repair it, as it's all glued together.  
 The only thing to do is throw it away and start over!

For my money, you can't beat a quality brass radiator, as sold by Hall 
Pantera.

http://hallpantera.com/cgi-bin/p/awtp-product.cgi?d=hallpantera-inc&
item=20270

They cost about the same, work just as well, and IF you should ever pick up 
a rock or a ding and it starts leaking, you can have it repaired locally, 
easily, and cheaply.

Steve Wilkinson GAVE Lori a used Hall radiator for free, which he removed 
from a car when the owner wanted a new, sexy Fluidyne radiator.   The Hall 
radiator was probably 15-20 years old, and it had lived a hard life.   It had 
a slight leak from one of the thermoswitch fittings.

I was able to have it completely rebuilt, repaired, pressure-tested, AND 
painted for the princely sum of $40, from my local radiator shop.   Her car 
now resolutely refuses to go above about 190 degrees, whether it's idling in 
100-degree heat (with Hall Meriah fans, also a cast-off from Wilkinson) or 
running hard on the track.   And that radiator will continue to cool that car 
for the next 100 years....

Mike