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For those of you that have followed the saga of my "simple" ring and valve job, you know that it has stretched many months and gotten much closer to a full rebuild. So, before re-assembly, I decided to have my radiator flushed. Don't worry, the shop was informed about 80 times (by me) that the radiator has flat welded seams and cannot be pressurized. They are reputable and have been working on cars for longer than I have been alive, so we'll go with them.

Anyways, the point: my radiator core is significantly clogged, and they found a few minor leaks after flushing. The car didn't overheat when I drove it, after I got the coolant up to the right level, but it seems stupid to put a clogged radiator with a freshly hot-tanked engine.

I am getting a quote to rebuild this radiator with a cellular core that looks original, but does anyone have a recommended company or a ballpark idea of cost for a similar service?

Thanks!

You should be prepared to spend a lot more $ for a cellular radiator than a fin & tube with the same cooling capacity. Here's one place you might ask for a quote.

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quick reaction - there are two typical commercially available copper cores, if my memory serves close to accurate - vertical tube with horizontal fins (kinda commercial looking) and whats that other style called, with the corrugated looking fins? Anyway, both of these are "normal" for re-core nowadays and the pricing will be close. The other two options are on the other end of the spectrum, honeycomb cores are frighteningly expensive, and aluminum custom made (as for many 37 Packards that are streetrodded) are much cheaper, but look like they belong in a streetrod...

Thanks for the info! I'll look again at the core, and then give The Brassworks a call once I hear back from my shop. I was surprised to hear him call it a cellular core- I know it's not a honeycomb core. It wasn't until I did a little bit of research that I understood the difference. I may look at the modern replacement to see how different it is and then make a cost and appearance decision.

I recored my 36 120 last year and got it done for less than $400 IIRC.

BDC, was that with a cellular core? My shop is quoting $800.

I got cost estimates that vary from $675 to $825 to have my 194-120 re-cored. That was from a few shops and two different types of cores. I still need to make up my mind.

Two places were very reputable but one local guy really jerked me around. He didn't want to tell me he had to send it out to be done. But that is another story for another time.

I would assume that your location may have be reason for various pricing too. If you need to ship it the freight alone will add to the total cost.

Fred D

The word you are looking for is Cellular radiator core.

For Senior Packards where cellular was standard (pre-10th series) I would stick with cellular. Cellular radiators can go bad when stored empty because metal debris swells with evaporation. So they should be stored with plugs in the hose outlets and filled with coolant.

The pre-war junior cars were rather eclectic and can have cellular or tubed within the same series.

Rolls was using cellular right up through the 1960's.

Mine was tube style.

Thanks all for the input!

I'm going to go with the local shop- Brassworks quoted 2100-2400! No thanks!

I'll post pictures when all is said and done.