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My radiator has a pretty decent leak, so i have decided to go ahead and replace it. Does anyone have a recommendation for a quality radiator that fits well on a 79 vette?
My radiator has a pretty decent leak, so i have decided to go ahead and replace it. Does anyone have a recommendation for a quality radiator that fits well on a 79 vette?
There is a whole sticky on this topic... in the end it boils down to how much you want to spend... Derale makes reproduction style units. I myself have been using a 3 row champion aluminum unit I picked up in 2012 on ebay for $200... absolutely no issues and the car stays around 180 degrees. Basically, the more rows the radiator has the more cooling power it has. I use the dual 11" electric spal / beecool type fan shroud as after replacing all the oem stuff I found the temps would still climb in traffic (likely because the replacement mechanical fan clutches are still designed to work at stock temps above 200 degrees and I wanted temps closer to 180.)
here is my 79 installation with seals etc.. my advice?
- go aluminum and store OEM radiator if you want keep for originality. these things run hot anyway, aluminum will cool better.
- paint it black.. i did not but would if i did again.
- get 180 f thermostat.. no need to run the 195f
People spend lots of money on aluminum radiators and other things. After that they have a perfectly good OEM one sitting around. First thing I would do is look around for one of these. When my ‘76 radiator sprung multiple leaks I got a ‘77 one for $50. Couple hours later I was good to go.
