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Radiator - Refurbish or Buy New complete?


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Hi Guys,

My Radiator is sweating at the bottom tank, and a few other places. So I made contact with a "radiator- smith"(sorry my poor English skills) and we inspected it together....

He could repair it, but it would only be a matter of time before more holes would appear. He could replace the core and also include a hole for the crank-handle.... Very promising, very tempting. The only drawback is that It will be about 150 Pounds more than buying a complete unit from ie Bastuck (I live in Denmark).

Do you guys have any experience with the units supplied from Ex. Moss, SC Parts(Limora in Germany) or Bastuck?  Are they any good, or should one go for the refurbished instead?

 

Regards 

Niels Peter

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If DT 67 176 is your car then it does not look like you have a starting handle guide on the front bumper.   Do you have a starting handle and the chrome bumper guide?   If not then why bother with the starting handle hole in the radiator?

Ask the radiator repairer off they will fit new modern high efficiency 4 core type .  If so go for that as it is a worthwhile product.  You should get back a radiator that fits your car too.

I have no experience of the Moss etc. remade radiators.  
 

The only remade ones I have seen or attempted to fit were cheap Chinese aluminium ones which were rubbish fit and construction.  Cheap YES, Junk YES.  
Problems were. ….Too wide for chassis and hose tubes too small plus used a tiny motorcycle pressure cap on one.   Leaking on another, and finally one with the entire core bent sideways top to bottom. (that one came from Holland but was Chinese made)

read this recent thread on sidescreen car radiators  they are almost identical to yours.   

 

 

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Peter W -

I have not the handle nor the bracket. Only the hole in the radiator.. Perhaps it is a bit daft but I kind of like the idea of the hole being there as it has always been that way.. but I do know that it would come at an extra cost with no purpose... well time to think that bit through. :-)

The quote I got, was for a modern core with an increased cooling efficiency of about 25%. And of course fit would be perfect, as well at the top tank with the plaque with Coventry stamped on it would be preserved. I like that as well. 

But my concern goes on is it stupid to spend the money on this originality instead of going for a new radiator. But if the new ones are poor China reproductions then, for me, it's speeks volumes. 

 

rgds

Niels Peter 

 

 

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I looked at the 'new' ones and decided to get mine refurbished new more efficient cores, complete pressure testing, no problems for five years or so.

I just was not convinced by the 'quality' of the Chinese ones, also members comments with regard to alloy rads. put me off them as well.

Cheers Lee

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1 hour ago, stillp said:

The starting handle hole will, as Bob said, reduce the number of cooling pipes, and it will also increase the number of potential leaks.

Pete

Unles a ‘wet box’ is incorporated to continue the tubes around the starting handle hole.    Best of luck finding the skills to produce a wet box, at a price you want to pay.   As stated most recoring  companies just blank off the tubes above/below the hole in the core for the starting handle.

I paid 50% more to get a ‘wet box’ incorporated in my radiator core and it took them 3 goes to get the hole in the right place even with my old core to copy and a drawing.   In truth I am not sure why I bothered now.

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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Hi Niels, 

I have a TR4A radiator sitting in my loft in Esbjerg if you want it (for free). It doesn’t have any known issues - I just replaced it when SC Parts had a sale and I could get a new one for £150. It’s from a US car. 

Mvh

Richard

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10 minutes ago, ricky30dk said:

Hi Niels, 

I have a TR4A radiator sitting in my loft in Esbjerg if you want it (for free). It doesn’t have any known issues - I just replaced it when SC Parts had a sale and I could get a new one for £150. It’s from a US car. 

Mvh

Richard

Hi Richard,

Thankyou very much for the kind offer. But I am a bit partial to the long neck on the radiator on the early 4´s. But very tempting. :)

danish: "Mange tak for det fine tilbud" :)

regards

Niels Peter

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4 hours ago, 62-tr4-DK said:

Hi Richard,

Thankyou very much for the kind offer. But I am a bit partial to the long neck on the radiator on the early 4´s. But very tempting. :)

danish: "Mange tak for det fine tilbud" :)

regards

Niels Peter

Added to which if the kindly offered radiator is for a TR4A it will not fit your TR4 chassis

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