Hii Guys,

Looks like I need to get the radiator in my 72W recored. I realize any competent radiator shop can do it.....but I'm not sure the ones around here are competent. Does anyone have a ballpark figure for what a recore should cost? Without a frame of reference I don't know if the price they'll quote me is reasonable or if they're taking me to the cleaners. Anybody have one recored recently that can give me some pointers on this endevour?

thanks,
bob

 

Hi Bob,
I just had a 4 row unit for a 69 442 recored last month and I paid $398. If yours is only a 3 row it would likely be less. I'm up here in Forest Hill (Bel Air area) and I didn't find anyone in my area or Baltimore that I knew anything about or that anyone else did. So I had mine done by a shop in PA and was very pleased with their work. The shop I used, Razzi's Radiators in North Hills, PA, is the same one that does all of Thornton's radiators. I know you are pretty far down there but maybe you could ship it to them. If all else fails, let me know as I go up to that area quite a bit. If you wanted to drop it off to me in the Bel Air area, I'd run it up there for you when I went that way. Usually once a week or every other week. I could pick it up when it was done and bring it back to my house. Razzi took about 1 week to get it done.
Brian

 

Bob, how correct do you want your radiator to be???, and how nice are your side tanks???

 

Bob, don't repeat the horror story from another member who took his radiator to a repair shop, didn't like the quote, and left it there for two months.
When he finally called them they had binned it.
There was a lot of discussion about who was right or wrong, but it turned out badly for all concerned.
Whoever repairs your radiator, keep in touch about what work will be done, what it will cost, and how long it will take. I don't mean bug them with hourly phone calls, but try to keep up to date on how the job is going, and make it clear you want to be informed if they have a problem
If you do that your repair shop should treat you with respect and it should all end in smiles all round.
Good luck!
Roger

 

alumitech.com

They do restorations.

Talk to Don Kyte.

 

Do not use cap-a-radiator in new york!

Beware!!!!!!!

 

Thanks for the info guys!

Brian.....I sure appreciate the offer! Let me work out some logistics and I may get back to you on this. I looked around and it seems Razzi's knows their stuff. I was just up that way this weekend but didn't know they were there, but that's how stuff goes I guess. I have to head up to New Jersey in two weeks, I'm thinking I could drop it off then. But if that doesn't work for some unforseen reason I may take you up on your offer.

Rocket......how correct? You know how **** I am. There is only one "correct", anything else is just "similar". Seriously, the car has 50K original miles and the radiator has never been out. Tanks look pristine. I was under the hood the other day to get the water pump casting number and I happened to see the gleen of that wonderful green coolant color on the lower rows of the radiator on the engine side. It's not leaking on the floor or anything, just "weeping" for lack of a better word. But I don't want to mess with putting goop or pellets in the radiator.....I want to know it's 100%. So how correct? I want it CORRECT. To be honest, if I knew where to get a "correct" core I could desolder my old tanks and resolder them to the new core......I've done radiator repair before and it's not hard. I just don't know where to get the correct core.

My442......I did see Alumitech's website when I googled "Harrison Radiator Restoration". They sure sound competent, but I'd rather not ship it if possible. That doesn't mean things don't get lost when you handcarry, but at the least they have to look me in the eye and tell me they lost my parts. And no Cap-A-Radiator.....got it!!!!

Rusty...........good advice. I'll make sure to heed it.

thanks,
bob

 

Had a 3 row radiator recored last week and got quotes from 3 places of $300, $345, and $395.

 

Where can I look to see if my radiator is still the original Harrison?

 

Okay Bob you asked for it!!!

If you want the correct radiator core with the correct top and bottom channels with v-notches and rectangle paint hangers as original see the link below, as this is where they come from.

3 row
http://www.heartbeatcity.com/store/p...evelle-GTO-3C/

4 row
http://www.heartbeatcity.com/store/p...evelle-GTO-4C/

I had just been thru this and it does get very costly to do everything as correct as possible.

BTW, wherever you decide to take it, insist on them leaving the radiator bare and you painting it on your own with the proper "radiator paint"!!!

 

There will be a 2 digit letter code stamped on each side tank that should match the code listed for your car in the GM assembly manual.

 

Thanks Rocket, no codes on mine but I think it should have "Harrison" on it as well.

 

Yes, on the passenger side tank, right below the filler neck.

 

I just had a 4 row Harrison re-cored. Cost $450 total.

I agree that you should paint it yourself. The guy at the radiator shop probably isn't a painter.

I used flat black (low gloss black) ceramic engine paint. Duplicolor from the local auto parts store.

 

The specific paint I used was Duplicolor DE1634 GM/Chrysler Low Gloss Black ceramic engine enamel from the local auto parts store.

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/enginePaint/

I know that some radiator shops use high gloss black instead of flat black, so maybe the difference isn't significant for a car radiator.

In power electronics, we typically use flat black on heatsinks. But we sometimes need every extra degree we can get. And any temp reduction will translate into some reliability improvement for electronics.

 

When I lived and worked in Md., we used Executive Radiator (erscooling.com) in Glen Burnie. They re-cored a heater core in my military truck. This was 5 years ago, but always gave good work. You can check out their current reputation on line.