I have a '68 with a 350 crate motor and I would like to replace my stock radiator as it is just not doing the job. I want to go with something that would be a direct fit and electric fans. I looked at the Dewitt radiators and while they seem the best the price is very high as well. Is there anyone who makes a direct replacement that wont break the bank?

 

DeWitts is the best and the way to go. Just pony up and do it right...

Lars

 

Is there anything wrong with just having my original radiator rebuilt or recored?

 

Not at all. Any automotive radiator shop could clean it and/or repair it if repairs are needed.

 

As stated by Lars above.
Buy a DeWitts and be done.
Perfect fit.
One of the supporting vendors sells them at a reduced price, but I can't remember which one it is.
Check out this Sticky

Aluminum radiators and related topics

 

No - not at all. You asked about anyone making direct fit replacement radiators - not about rebuild options.

 

I was originally thinking direct fir replacement but I dont want to spend the kind of money Dewitt wants but then again Im not sure how much a radiator rebuild will cost either.

 

I went with a DeWitt's in my '76 and it was worth the money and fit well! I'm not well to do and the price seemed very reasonable to me.

 

 

I replaced my rad with a Cold Case radiator. Direct fit, well built and cheaper than a Dewitts.

 

The term DIRECT FIT is a registered trademark of DeWitts Radiator.

 

Cold case has good reviews. I may give them a shot.

 

As a brand name I'm guessing that's what you mean. But a rad that fits directly into the car without any modifications would be a "direct fit". Just sayin'.

 

Trademark laws are subject to argument and often in courts. DeWitts radiator pursued, and was awarded a Trademark to market their aluminum radiators as Direct Fit. The other guys didn't. For me, if someone else had a trademark, I would choose another adjective to describe my product. Like Sure Fit, Exact fit, Etc. Just saying. Imagine if GM trademarks the term DC-Powered for the C9. Can Ford use that if the new Mustang is actually DC powered? Ah, no.

 

Just opinion and not legal speak here because this is a forum afterall.

When you trade mark something universally used term in many industries like "direct fit" and then call someone else out for using the term because its a widely used term in many industries and has been long before you trade marked it. (Go to the google search page and type "direct fit"). To put it like you did that would be like GM trademarking the word "engine" tomorrow and then calling everyone else out for using it. Legal or not, It doesnt change a persons opinion that its a lame and petty thing to do, Whether its becoming common practice or not.
There has been many lawsuits lately even in the beer world by the huge beer conglomerates that has the $$ to spend time trademarking all sorts of words and terms to attack others that have become noticable competition to them .. The most recent was Molson Coors suddenly going after "Stone brewing company" who have been around since 1996, for using the word "Stone" because coors uses it in the word "Keystone" This is dispite the fact that there are literally dozens of breweries that use the word "stone"
In the end It was bad press for Molson Coors.. Not as bad as when Siemens recently (2002) trademarked the term "Zyklon B" which was the Gas it helped develop for the ***** to kill millions in death camps but it still backfired on them and gave Stone more publicity.

I guess my point is even though you may be completely legal in your point of view, You cannot fault others for not sharing your opinion of it or from still looking at it from a practical, common sense, rather than legal point of view.

As far as my op topic response, I put a 3 row Champion radiator in my 74 corvette 6 years ago and it was a "direct fit" other than the fact that It was wider than the original due to increased cooling area. It still fit without any modifications to anything else in the car.

 

At the speed shop where I have ordered many parts and where they assembled my engine, they have cross section cut outs of several radiators.
All are good quality and to my untrained eyes all look about the same.
When I was getting ready to buy my new radiator, I took my vast knowledge consisting of what I read here on the forum, walked into the shop and asked, what makes all these Corvette Forum guys say the DeWitts is the best.
He didn’t share the details about how the DeWitt was a direct fit, he showed me the cross sections of how they were assembled.
The Cold Case and the Griffin were actually bonded with resins in some places where the DeWitts was welded throughout.
The materials and the actual construction of the core and the tanks (hope I’m using the correct terminology here) of the DeWitts were better and he showed me how the design of the DeWitts was better.
Well I walked out, went home saved a little more money then called Tom and ordered my DeWitt radiator during one of their sales.
I feel that not only based on what I have read here, that DeWitts will be a “Direct Fit”, it is the best quality radiator on the market.
Good luck!

 

I bought dewitts because it had high reviews..and the only one i could find made in usa because for me..it mattered... It was 25% more than china..i went the zip generic version 399.. also tom replied to me right away with my questions
i did find one guy that would recore for 350 bucks and even he said why don’t you go aluminum..i kept the old..
good luck any direction you go!
the onlything i may have done different is paint it black..minor point