Question
Hello,
I am looking for a robust aftermarket radiator in the $300-400 range.
Answer
Member, Thank you for reaching out to the Ask Hagerty expert service! I understand you are looking for a more reasonable cooling solution for your Chevelle. I’m reminded of the old saying, “Fast, Cheap, and Good… pick two. If it’s fast and cheap it won’t be good. If it’s cheap and good, it won’t be fast. If it’s fast and good, it won’t be cheap. Fast, cheap, and good … pick two words to live by.”
I have a few concerns with your vehicle. You live in Southern Florida where it is quite warm most of the year and you have your share of heavy traffic, both of which are a challenge to keeping older cars running cool. Aluminum radiators are reasonable, typically $250-$300 for your application, (I will give you a source for one of these below) but I have a concern. Keep in mind heat is energy, and just like electrical energy the better the conductor of energy the better the transfer of energy. Your cooling system is essentially transferring the heat energy created in your engine into the atmosphere. Heat energy reacts nearly the same as electrical energy. So the same excellent conductor of electricity, copper, and brass work the best in transferring the heat out of your coolant. Aluminum will conduct the heat but not nearly as well as copper and brass. The advantage of aluminum is it is lightweight and much cheaper than copper and brass. This is ideal in racing situations where you want to save weight and the airflow across the radiator is constant because you are at speed most of the running time and the engine RPMs are high, so the water pump is also pumping your coolant at a high rate. However, run that same setup on the street in extreme heat and you will have overheating problems. You can add some electric fans, but this will quickly add another $300-$400 to your costs. There is a reason GM equipped these cars with brass/copper radiators, fan shrouds, and clutch fans, they work well and are very durable. Aluminum is not very durable, so it will not last as long. So that said here are my suggestions; The Best: $989 - Brass/Copper Radiator, fan shroud, and clutch fan (I run this set up on all my muscle cars and they run 190 degrees on the hottest days in traffic). HD Radiator $750 - Chevy Chevelle, 1964-65 V8 283/327/350 25” wide Brass/Copper, High Efficiency, 3-Row Radiator - https://usradiator.com/product/chevrolet-chevelle-1966-67-v8-283-327-350-25-inch-wide-radiator Shroud $118 – Factory reproduction fan shroud - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gmk-4030-310-641/make/chevrolet/model/chevelle/year/1964 Fan and Clutch $31 – Fan Clutch - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hda-2710/make/chevrolet/model/chevelle/year/1964 $121 – 5 blade Fan - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/gmk-401031264/make/chevrolet/model/chevelle/year/1964 The Good: $682 - Factory Brass/Copper radiator, factory shroud, and clutch fan, if your motor is not heavily modified it will cool fine but the temperature may creep up a little in traffic. Standard Duty Factory brass Factory 2 rows $530 – Factory original reproduction, brass copper 2 row - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/opg-05154an/make/chevrolet/model/chevelle/year/1964 The Cheap: $450 - Aluminum radiator, factory shroud, and clutch fan. You will probably be fine if the car is moving and air can flow across the radiator, but in traffic, this could overheat. $298 – Aluminum radiator hi-flow 3 row - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-384010/make/chevrolet/model/chevelle/year/1964 If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach back out to me. Please note I am not a certified mechanic and can also offer a list of qualified shops available in your area. Thank you for being a Hagerty Drivers Club Member!
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