So the engine on my '73 BB is OUT!..I noticed the oem radiator has had better days...should I restore it or just replace it with aluminum??
4 core or 2?..so many choices!dont want to over spend though

I found a few on ebay for under $300 :

I like this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131132846961...84.m1423.l2649


http://www.ebay.com/itm/171209137945...84.m1423.l2649

even some under $200 :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271410334264...84.m1423.l2649

which one should I get?

 

Although I'm a big fan of DeWits, those look pretty good for the price.
Just don't get the cheapest one you can find, because your Vette will have the cheapest radiator you could find

Save el-cheapo for the honda!

 

Thanks!

 

I thought long and hard about the import units, I gave Tom Dewitt hell in the end I had Tom make me a custom unit, it's art work and Tom is a hands on email or call away guy, not all if any of the import venders are and none are vette people.

The the imports have batch quailty control issues guys will chime in that bought one and it worked great but then some will say what a piece of junk,

The radiator is so important I decided that the extra piece of mind I got dealing with Tom was way worth not being my normal cheap skate self on this one......plus Tom is a supporter of the forum and his product is usa made.

 

I like Dewitt....little too expensive for me thought I was trying to find a good alternative at better price...this rebuild is taking ALL my $$!!!

 

buy this one, it's made by Dewitts and its cheaper:

http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductD...GR-SR&CTitle=&

I have one in my '81 and it's great

 

I bought the Champion one on fleabay and it's a real POS. Top and bottom of the rad are square and don't fit in the rad support. I complained and they told me to chop the curved brackets off the rad support of my original 69 big block and weld some square ones on....
For the cost of shipping it back and filling out customs forms, I tossed it in the recycle bin Buyer beware! The workmanship is garbage as you can see below.
I bought a Dewitts and should have done that in the first place.

The dewitts is like a piece of art and it fits like a glove.

 

Big block - one word Dewitt's

 

While I agree with some of these guys I would go with a 4 Core old style Radiator unless you have the money for the Aluminum types. The 4 core radiators will provide the best cooling and I am old school when it comes to it. I like my older V8 engines to run under 190 Degrees in the heat of summer. Since the Automatic 350 and 400 trannies also run into the Radiator for cooling I have also added a Tranny cooler on my 1977 Corvette to extend the life of it.

When you go to add new fluid the best money saving tip I have is buy regular anti freeze and use Distilled Water from the store. Do not use tap water when refilling the radiator. Tap water has lots of contaminates in it that will eventually clog it up again. Distilled water has nothing in it other than H2O and do a 50/50 mix. Buying 50/50 mix fluids are almost as expensive as just plain fluid and a gallon of distilled water is most almost less the a buck. Buy 2 gallons of anti freeze and 2 gallons of distilled water. Add one gallon of each to the system them mix 1/2 gallon of the last two into one of the gallons you purchased to finish topping it off. I generally use my first used up gallon of anti freeze container to mix up the second gallon need to mix it up. than for future use I take and mix the other 1/2 gallon containers together and use some of it in the over flow.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131132846961...2649#vi-ilComp

 

Do you need a radiator? Were you having cooling problems? Is your original leaking?

If your original is otherwise in good shape, have cleaned and keep it.

No sense spending money on an aftermarket radiator if you don't need one.

 

Is this link the one you recommend??

 

Mike,
the oem is not leaking but it has few bumps on the front from rocks I assume and I dont know the condition of the inside!! Im guessing not great considering PO did not really take good care of the vehicle
I want my new engine to have fresh clean coolant and be happy
thoughts?

 

You can only do what you can do when going over a car. The one quank posted seams the best deal in all the links I have seen it is not to much or cheap ..

 

you dont like this one:??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131132846961...84.m1423.l2649

 

I would spend the 100 more only because someone has vouched for it and the company is a corvette parts distributor .. If you have any issues your a lot better off with ZIP and it is a Dewitt radiator which gets the highest ratings on these forums.

When your going over a car 100 or so dollars is spit in the long run and worth spending for proven good quality

 

See CanadaGrant's post above?

 

this is a legit Made in USA Dewitts and is top quality. I waited for a free shipping code to buy it.

 

I put a Dewitt's in my 92 LT1, fit was excellent, quality was excellent and my normal eng temps dropped 20 degrees. So when it came time to get the radiator for my 72 build, it was a no brainer. No surprises either, top notch product. Built in America by Americans.

 

My 77 had a brand new copper and brass replacement radiator when I pulled the engine. Even though it is brand new it is thin and cheaply made. Not like the radiators of copper and brass used to be made back in the day. When I finally put my motor back in I am going to spend the bucks for a Dewitt's and ditch the one I took out. A quality radiator is something that you should never cheap out on. Btw I agree, those Dewitt's radiators are a work of art.

 

Suit yourself. A good tanking might be all you need on the one you have.