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Hello All, I am in need of a Radiator for my 53' Patrician with a 327. The one that I have burst on me this weekend. I have a shop repairing the leak but they informed me that the core is rotting away and they won't guarantee the leak repair. They said that they could re-core the radiator, but it was extremely expensive ($766). Is that a fair price for what I need. I'm just not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Ramon

I hesitate to comment about costs without current experience, but based on experiences now a few year old, $766 for a recore on a simple radiator seems a bit high but not out of the range of expectation. A couple of years back, $550 or so for a simple tube and fin radiator was a fairly typical cost. You might shop around for a better price but in the end if you pay an extra $100 or so to have it done at a quality shop in which you have confidence it may be $100 well-spent.

A 54 Patrician radiator should have a gravity flow rate of 31.25 gallons/minute, no reason I can think of to believe a 53 would be much different. Of course flow rate isn't the sole criteria, you could get 31 gallons a minute from a piece of 4 inch pipe which would offer no cooling. It's also the number of tubes and their corresponding surface areas and of course the fin surface area. Good reasons to pick someone who knows the business.

I had my radiator recored for my 53 Clipper with a 327 engine about a year ago for about $500.00 but the Patrician radiator may be larger and more heavy duty so may cost more. So I would say it may be a bit expensive, but perhaps not totally out of line. A second quote is always a good idea.
Ken

Which ever way you decide to go with the radiator, reinstall it with the correct hardware. The radiator is fastened to the frame or cradle with special shoulder bolts to allow for rubber washers and spacer bushings. This is necessary to allow the radiator to flex in its frame and not be torqued by the frame which will lead to leaks. Big Kev covered this in his project blog. Worth the extra effort. Also, with the radiator out of the car, this would be a good time to remove the water pump and inspect the water distribution tube. Good time, too, to inspect your thermostat, and back flush the block and head. New hoses and clamps will complete your restored cooling system. In closing, there has been some discussion recently about the new type extended life antifreezes and their affect on the parts of vintage cooling systems. I would recommend you try and find the old type antifreeze formulated for these vintage motor cars. Don't forget the radiator cap. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it is so much easier to do now with the radiator out than doing it piecemeal later on. Preventative maintenance. You will not regret getting a good recore for your radiator.



(o{I}o)

I've got a 54 Clipper Deluxe and my radiator measures HT 20 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 2. It cost me $475 for Recore Plus $33.25 tax plus $16.55 core freight for a total cost $524.80. They had to ship it somewhere to get the recore work done because it was more than a fix. The name of the place is Bob's Radiator Repair Co, Inc in Omaha. My new radiator has a more cooling area but fits the same so there was no problem reinstalling it. Good luck. If you want to call them to hear what they have to say, I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Phone 402-339-4544.

Thanks to everyone on the much needed advice! Have a good one! Ramon

I had a very high quality local shop (owner had Model A's) do one for a '54 Clipper a few years ago and it ran a little over $400. Now the honeycomb radiator for our '27 Pontiac was another story! OUCH!!