32 Ford radiator

kb426 · April 16, 2007, 08:30:27 PM

Whose radiator do you guys use and recommend? This is for small Ford and manual trans. Full height.

Dave · April 16, 2007, 08:36:10 PM

Quote from: "kb426"Whose radiator do you guys use and recommend? This is for small Ford and manual trans. Full height.

Well walker is great but an arm and a leg.. I have a griffin aliminum and im on the second one in 4 years. The other one sprung a leak.
Denise knows of a place near her that does aluminum cheap so ask her..
The new street rodder or street scene has an article on most of the radiator makers.. I was just looking at it last night in my hung over state

I dunno what the one i have is for the roadster but i see em on egay. They are cheap but they dont have mounts for the shell so ya gotta make your own. If you look on egay they have a logo on thier pic so it supposedly cant be copied.. I hope im helpin..
Dave

kb426 · April 16, 2007, 08:44:35 PM

I've seen the alum. one on ebay. Thanks for the tip.

rumrumm · April 17, 2007, 08:33:33 AM

Everyone has raved about the quality and workmanship on these aluminum radiators. I have an AFCO in my coupe, and it is fine, but these do not use epoxy and are repairable. If I had known about them at the time, I would have order one of these instead. See below:

www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/157/

donsrods · April 17, 2007, 11:05:34 AM

So far we have bought 2 aluminum ones from PRC, and they are really nice looking and great people to deal with. Their welds look like works of art.

Here is their website, and a picture of the one in my T.

www.prchotrod.com/

Don

donsrods · April 17, 2007, 11:08:46 AM

My kid is also running one in his '29.

Don

Deuce · April 17, 2007, 01:02:43 PM

Walker ...

A good bit of cash ... but they work great and look right in a 32 ... to me ... I hate the aluminum look behind the grille insert ... but that's just me ... my 32's look old timey ...

I just bought one recently for my 32 3W project ... with the A/C ... and it was expensive ... but a Walker cools my 430 HP SBC in the roadster easily ... so I got one for the coupe too ...

Dave · April 17, 2007, 02:13:10 PM

ok so you dont like the aluminum look behind the grille.. Do this.. I should have but forgot. Go to the hardware store and buy some fiberglass screen and put on the front of the radiator. I did this years ago on a 29 model a just to make the bugs easier to remove. We did it a couple summers ago on my buddies 30 model a too. I shoulda done it on my coupe and may pull it apart one of these days and do it.
Dave

donsrods · April 17, 2007, 03:07:06 PM

Walker does make a nice radiator too. My other Son just got a Walker for his T bucket project, and the workmanship is top notch.

I guess it all boils down to if you prefer aluminum or copper. Oh, I forgot about the Brassworks, they make a nice one too, I have one on my '27 with a Deuce shell.

I like that fiberglass screen idea, especially with the love bugs we get here in Florida.

Don

Charlie Chops 1940 · April 17, 2007, 04:42:23 PM

I have an original '32 recored with an A/C thing on the front that was used with a 289/auto. The guy I got it from said it cooled better than the Walker he put in. I can send you some pics. PM me your email address if you are interested. Definitely a lot cheaper than a new one.

Charlie

Deuce · April 17, 2007, 04:56:59 PM

Quote from: "jusjunk"ok so you dont like the aluminum look behind the grille.. Do this.. I should have but forgot. Go to the hardware store and buy some fiberglass screen and put on the front of the radiator. I did this years ago on a 29 model a just to make the bugs easier to remove. We did it a couple summers ago on my buddies 30 model a too. I shoulda done it on my coupe and may pull it apart one of these days and do it.
Dave

Pass ...

I will just go ahead and buy the Walker ...

enjenjo · April 17, 2007, 05:07:11 PM

You can paint aluminum radiators black.

Deuce · April 17, 2007, 08:56:00 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"You can paint aluminum radiators black.

Yes, I know ...
I had a friend do that ... after about 2 years ... the black was coming off where the bugs had hit it ... and did not look right ...

.

river1 · April 17, 2007, 09:52:28 PM

Quote from: "Deuce"
Quote from: "enjenjo"You can paint aluminum radiators black.

Yes, I know ...
I had a friend do that ... after about 2 years ... the black was coming off where the bugs had hit it ... and did not look right ...

.

can an aluminum rad be anodized black to prevent that problem?

later jim

Topsterguy · April 19, 2007, 01:25:31 AM

I put a walker rad in my roadster and have had to fix leaks in the tank corners twice in 9 years, and two guys I know with the same rads have had the same problems. I used another walker in my coupe tho and so far ( 2 years on the road) it's been okay. There's a good rad shop not far from here and I think if I was doing another car I'd get them to build one - a lot less pricey and they're known for doing good work.