Lyndwood

my stock radiator still holds water and didnt over heat but looking at going to an aluminum 3 core radiator for my '74 (355/auto) and love some of the prices I'm seeing on ebay but wondering if anyone has bought any and has an opinion on which ones to stay away from for either quality or bad fit issues. my vette is not a restoration, just a hot rod so I'm not worried about it not being GM, I also dont want to spend a lot as the project is well into the red now. looking at rad's on ebay between $140-$180. any advice would be appreciated.


***they all say they fit a '74 but I read a few stories on the web about aftermarket rad's not fitting?

The13Bats

This subject comes up a lot here and mostly the treads become an advertisement for a certain vendor and people who go any other way get belittled, reason to be proud, the forum favorite radiator is a wonderful work of art that seems to never disappoint, but some people simply can not afford it, or would rather spend that extra cost money on something else.

You asked about the "budget" Champion type ebay radiators and I have been doing some long time research on the subject,
Since you didn't ask for a comparison I will try to avoid comparing,

you can do a forum search and see that 99% of the buyers of the budget units are thrilled about the fact it does what a radiator is suppose to do that is cool their car and it did it at a wonderful low price,
I have also seen a few not all who buy the budget units say they had to tweak this or that bracket a little to get it to fit, weird that only a few needed a tweak.

I have seen some of the welds look really good and some look like bird droppings,
Some people do not care for how they look just so long as they do not leak and they do not seem to.

If you reuse your stock clutch fan and shroud you should be good but I have sadly seen some of the fan/radiator package deals include some pretty darn crappy import junk electric fans that simply do not more enough air, in turn that makes the radiator look bad, and that's not really fair.

The champion budget radiator thing has really taken off and lots of buyers who are happy as pigs in shi.... slop but we do not have any long term feedback, feedback from people that have ran them for 5 plus years is rare but as one happy buyer told me, "for 160.00 shipped, if it lasts a few years it paid for itself"

I related the "budget" brand to "champion" but I read somewhere the other day there is more than one "champion" so perhaps some buyers can chime in which one they bought.

I would like to sit back and see if anyone who owns a "budget" radiator gives it a bad review.

croaker

Two Champoins ? Which one is legit?

revneck

I purchased a three row Champion from Ecklers for my 79 back in April. It has worked perfectly right through some of the hottest weather we have ever seen here in NY State

Lyndwood

thanks for the input but I'm gonna have to settle for an ebay $149.99 3 core aluminum rad based solely on funds, in past experience with race cars the aluminum factor alone is the selling point for flow & heat dispersion + even though my stock rad is looking fine I dont want to put it in with the new 450hp engine and worked th400 & converter only to let me down on the way to my first cruise night. the champions and dewitts are nice, just out of my budget for now. I will just expect to have to do some manipulating to get it into place.
thanks guys!

540 vette

I also have a Champion. Didn't buy it for the lack of money, bought it because I felt it did the same job as the more expensive ones for half the price. And it has. My engine never went over 180 in all those hot NY days we had this summer.

The13Bats

I do not know just a fellow in that champion noob thread mentioned two champions....


I am about the cheapest cat here so I say this with fullest respects to you but you fear over heating and possible ruining your sweet new 450 hp engine yet wanna play it bottom line with your radiator?
Not saying go buy the expensive dewitts but isn't the champion only 50-75 more than this unknown name 149.99 one you are looking at?
Perhaps try the stock radiator and see if it will cool the engine, or save a few more toad pelts and get the champion lots of people here love,

Okay, that didn't sound supportive of your plans, sorry, I guess if I was going to grab one of those lowest cost units I would go by the amount of good feedback the seller has, I am guessing it will work and you do not mind fitting it but my fears would be to sell it that cheap it's very thin metal.

Lyndwood

I value your opinion on the radiators (and everyone else's) and I dont mean to come off cheap I am just on a fixed C3 income and want to get the car up & running again. the old radiator had no problem keeping the stock l48 running & cool but like stated I up graded the engine/trans package and dont want to risk the old core giving out on me. to fire the engine I need to install a radiator + get new hoses,belts & get a new water pump (after market hi flow etc) and with my "set" limit for spending from mama bear I am trying to spread the cost around so I can get all these things in one shot and have the engine fired & running by the end of the summer. I looked at the champions and agree they are only $50-$75 more and didnt even think of the possibilities of a cheap one being "thin material" maybe I will go with the proven champion radiator and hold off on the other small parts for another month or so?

The13Bats

I too am on a fixed corvette budget, I like boasting how cheap I have a 69 bb convertible for, is it correct and would purists or many other people like it? hell no, but I built it for me.
Lots of us budget builders here so I do get stretching the toad pelts as far as we can, I was just whining to Ernie Willcox about some parts I gotta have and they are not cheap and do not have a cheap option.

with out getting all into it I wish I had bought about 200.00 worth of champion radiator, I know from feedback on here that it would cool my car,

I really didn't know of all the other import aluminum radiators on ebay and only while typing to you yesterday did it dawn on me, how in the heck does a Asian company make and ship an aluminum radiator for 150-175 they have to pay some thing for the materials and then to make that go further sure they would do it thinner,

Some of those vendors do have a lot of good feedback so it makes one wonder if even at that ridiculous low price that these units are pretty good.

Perhaps this really sums it up very well...

Cool95vette

I've had this set up for about 2 years now. I'm pushing close to 500 hp and have had no issues running in 95 degree Florida heat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-3-ROW-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR-W-SHROUD-12-FANS-1977-1982-CHEVY-CORVETTE-/272261764446?hash=item3f6410d55e

The13Bats

cool95vette,

I really like the full shroud no wasted radiator and dual 12's

Seller information

r-----------s (16468 )
99.9% Positive feedback

You do not get a rating like that with that many sales selling junk...

rcread

How is it that a 450 hp engine is in your budget but a good radiator is not?

oldgto

Makes perfect sence to me.... that`s how I shop also!

And you`re not alone!

I think there are quite a few of us that fit that catagory

I can spend as much as I want on my toys.... but I have to give her an equal amount!

It makes for very "creative" thinking when building a car. And I don`t mean "short-cuts" either.... I mean like shopping, swapping, and looking at ALL the options, not just buying the biggest & most expensive because that`s what everybody else does.

Priorities. We each have them, and they`re all different.
Mine is good mileage for a slow, sight-seeing cruiser that will probably average about 50 MPH. So my base 270 horse with automatic fits that bill PERFECTLY.
A thousand horse ground thumper may be on somebody else`s list.....
and then there are those "trailer queens" with tons of chrome and million dollar paint who only move from show to show, and never actually SEE a road.

PHIL 68

I agree well said

rcread

I know where that would work for you, but the OP put in a 450 hp engine, which typically isn't cheap, and is now penny pinching with the radiator. I was thinking maybe the new engine was built on a shoe string budget? I don't know, thus the question.

oldgto

This I understand.... and IF my priority list included 450 horses, I may have included things like rear gears, transmission upgrades, and beefy radiator in that equasion.
I also understand trying to save on some things, so I can lavish on others... but like you, I am unaware of OP`s budget or priority list.
I`m just thinking that one part may not hold as much significance to him, as it would to you or I....

Lyndwood

I was planning on a repaint, wheels, tires a cam & heads and it turned into a nightmare. I wasn't planning on an engine rebuild. the money I used on it was my paint money and I only had to pay for the parts (no labor) as my buddy owns the machine shop. bought the car running knowing it needed some TLC , as I dove into it I found it was all "rigged up" and now it has new brake lines,new F/R calipers/brakes/rotors, new rear suspension,new wheels & tires,rebuilt th400,new converter/flex plate,rebuilt engine/heads, new wiring harness's.
so it's a Little hard to siphon off cash from the family account for major things with out getting grief from the warden so i am trying to be "cautiously cheap"

in fact now that I dont have paint money I may have to "Murder" the car out in black primer sealer for a couple years?

Lyndwood

on the contrary I have a steel crank .010/.010 350 4 bolt main w/arp main studs, windage tray, stress relieved H-beam rods, KB pistons, gappless rings, 041 2.02/1.60 heads, 1.5 roller rockers & a Lunati cam.
I worked in an engine shop for years doing heads for my friend and though I do not work there anymore my friend still owns the shop so he did the short block for parts only (at his cost) no labor and allowed me to come in evenings & I re did the heads ( new seats/guides,mill,port/polish set the valve heights etc). I dont skimp on things that are not easily accessible or cheap like an engine or a rear or a trans. I pulled the trans apart while we were doing the engine, knowing I was upping the HP so I wanted to up grade the trans. it worked fine & looked good inside so we went with a Full Transo go trans package + shift kit and I upped the converter to a 2600 stall. the only thing I didnt get around to was the rear I want a 3.55 to replace the 3.08 but decided I could easily do that in the future. more easily then another engine swap etc.
I been racing for 25 years & learned to do the stuff thats hard to get to the right way so you dont have to pull them out again. if I bought a cheap radiator (which i am not now) and if failed, I'd be pissed but it's not as much work to pull a radiator as it is to pull an engine.

The13Bats

rcread
I do not understand nit picking someone without also offering help

Lyndwood
Years ago the biggest cruise in central florida was Old town, and I had a modded 66 corvette before every craigslist POS spray bombed flat black was called a rat rod my 66 was the only primered car allowed into the show,

That car ran a wet sanded black primer, and my 69 build an old school flared road race theme will also run wet sanded black primer, if I wanted a paint job I would have one, likely real candy and metal flake with lace and spider webbing, but I am doing what I want more for now, but I guess if you wanted pretty paint to be stuck with primer sucks, at least it's not red or grey primer,

If I were you I would consider trying your stock radiator for free, if it cools you win if not buy as much radiator as you can afford and do not get disparaged if someone thinks you should buy something more expensive....the proof is here a champion will work.....

Lyndwood

further update:
I decided to go with a champion for all the said reasons, good reviews + it's affordable and because I did some research into the cheaper ones on ebay by reading the bad comments specifically the radiator ones.... wow here's a sample of the complaints:
damaged fins/ damaged box
crushed fins/crushed box
very few if any threads tapped into the trans cooler ports
radiator cap mount broke off at weld
drain plug petcock broke off at weld
took over a month to receive + was damaged
didn't fit vehicle described at all
didn't cool car as they claim
dont answer emails or letters
dont list a working phone number to file a complaint
dont honor money back guarantee