The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Aluminum vs Copper Radiator?

I took my original '56 radiator in to be eyeballed and it was flowing horrible, had a few weeping leaks, and overall looked sad. The cores were sets of plates lined up like an accordian, the edges are fluxed, then the whole deal is dipped in molten solder. Essentialy, once they get old and start to come apart they are trash.

I had mine recored with a single pass 3-tube copper core with vented fins that masively increased the cooling effectivity. It's rated to handle a 500hp SBC, and I can attest that when I was movin full loads (10K+ for a GVW of 21K) up a VERY steep hill all day my 270's temp never got any higher than it does when I'm just tooling around town.
Finding a good rad shop that does top work can be a challenge, but you can have an original looking rad that performs like a custom unit for about the same price or less. Research your local shops, THEN go see the ones with good repuations.