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Expert
Posts: 1730
   
Location: Michigan | Just got the call from the repair shop. The radiator has too many holes in it to repair and guarantee that it will hold. The upper tank is very bad and cannot be salvaged.
They can build me a new one that will fit out of Aluminum, but the cost is $795.
Sanity check... I see costs for 56-57 Chevy radiators for $361 - $650 depending on the brand. I cannot find anyone that has a new unit to fit the 55-56 Chrysler.
Any suggestions?
Edited by Beltran 2015-01-09 1:40 PM
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Expert
Posts: 3780
Location: NorCal |
A tape measure is your friend here, measure the inlet/outlet diameter, the core dimensions and the bracket dimensions then compare to what's in the replacement market...aluminum or copper. Be prepared to do a little "fitting". |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 5009
| Are you looking for stock? If not now is the time to hit the pull a part places and find a good replacement. Don't expect cheap for repops... |
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Expert
Posts: 1730
Location: Michigan | Ya I am looking for something that resembles stock... although it's not very easy to find anything. The 55-57 Chevy radiator is about the closest I can come to anything new that will at least look the part. But I have to create a mount on each side and my stock fan shroud isn't going to fit without finding a way to attach the mounting brackets.
The sucky thing is I wasn't expecting this...
Edited by Beltran 2015-01-09 6:58 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1730
Location: Michigan | The worst thing will be though the guys that look at it and say HEY That's a Chevy Radiator in your Mopar! and I will have to pay them hush money or something. Gawd I hate having to do that. |
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Veteran
Posts: 168
Location: SD | Have you contacted John at Big M? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 982
Location: Upper Hunter NSW Australia | ........
Ditto, I'd make a call to John at Big M.
Pending that, and not being familiar with 55-56 Chrysler radiators, but...................
If the 55-57 Chevy radiator looks like a similar size, and you can take all the crap from purists about it not being an OEM one, then it wouldn't be hard to retro fit one by either desoldering the side straps and soldering up your 55-56 Chry ones to the Chevy one or modifying the Chevy one to bolt up in or around the same area that your OEM one did.
Just a thought..........
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 782
Location: Edmonton, Alberta | I'd agree with the above.... you might want to give Mr. Fowlie a call. For sure he'll have something that will probably work for you. An alternative (just simply because they are closer to you), is French Lake Auto Parts. They are a hour out of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, so you might be able to save a few dollars on shipping if they have something that will work for you. If there isn't much difference in shipping costs, then I'd use John hands down. No matter what, I'd expect to have to do a re-core (though you might get lucky....I did with my used rad.... should have bought a lotto ticket that day). However, you'll have something that's right when your done. |
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Expert
Posts: 1730
Location: Michigan | I talked with the shop and decided to have them build me one. They are sending it off to be cloned in aluminum. This will cost me 200 more than a recore job on a salvageable radiator. Considering cost of a 'used' one of unknown condition & shipping costs + recore cost, I think I would probably pay more. So I now await my brand new radiator to be completed. |
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Radiator is beyond repair... any suggestions?
