Radiator re-core???

roadbox said:
re-core for 3 rows, and well, it takes A LOT to give me sticker shock: $740.00.
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Okay here's the final deal.

The guy who runs the rad shop called me back to tell me his man had priced it incorrectly. $600 for 3-row, 19 fin (high efficiency serpentine rather than straight fin).

So price being exactly equal is the re-core a better way to go than buying one of the two aftermarket copies Chris O. has left? I have one in my Scorp and it was a slam-dunk.

John O.
 
Flip a coin but...

Chris Obert uses these things and USUALLY knows what he's doing...

(OK Chris???)

I would put my trust in Chris over the trust in a shop that doesn't usually do this stuff (on FIATS anyway) and has trouble with the pricing.

This OPINION from 3000 miles away...

What are the specs on the 3-core versus the replacement Chris offers? Also... even though I live a CHARMED life... I find the stock radiator with properly working fans and stat is more than sufficient.

Good luck with your decision...
 
Black-Tooth said:
I would put my trust in Chris over the trust in a shop that doesn't usually do this stuff (on FIATS anyway) and has trouble with the pricing. ... I find the stock radiator with properly working fans and stat is more than sufficient...
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I tend to agree with you, both in my gut and in my head, but the non-Fiat gear heads I know think I'm crazy not to go with the re-core.

Here's why and the crux of my quandry:

Background - When I bought the same rad for my Scorpion Chris is selling now, it was $300. If it still was, I'd already have it. There would be no question. But now that he's selling it for $600, so I feel I need to be a bit more prudent.

Chris' $600 rad is an Asian COPY of the stock rad, not an actual OEM rad. It is physically the same dimensions, has all the fitments, but has a lower fin count than stock, the materials are thinner, and it over-all feels less robust than stock. Still, it cools my Scorpion beautifully and it was a great buy at $300. And of course, it will come with no waranty of any kind.

The $600 re-core will be 3 row, rather than the two stock - specs as I note in my previous post. It will be built by a shop in walking distance of my house which I've been going to for 20 years, who's been in the radiator business since 1931. Restoring vintage equipment is one of their main areas of expertice. Of course, the re-core will come with a warranty.

One part of me says go with the guy who's making new cool stuff for my X, and because he supports the X owning community. The other part says go with the warranty and modern materials from the guy who's worked on every radiator from nearly every car I've owned since I was 19 years old.

Ugh.

John O.
 
Black-Tooth said:
HA! I think I would do the recore then also...
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After I wrote that post above, I pretty much decided what I was going to do. So, one last thing; I stopped at the rad shop on the way home from work and asked the owner to walk me through EXACTLY what they'd be doing with my old rad. I was convinced, that plus a two year warranty, and I told 'em to do it. I should have it by next weekend. One I get it in, I'll let everyone know what I find!

John O.
 
All choices about $600.

Choice 1: asian knock-off with less capacity and no warranty.

Choice 2: newly developed all aluminum unit from Vick's, performance unknown, warranty unknown.

Choice 3: hand-made recore of your original unit with extra capacity from a shop you can walk to and have done business with, 2 yr warranty.

I would have gone with #3 as well, with serious consideration of #2.
 
Dan Sarandrea (Phila) said:
Choice 2: newly developed all aluminum unit from Vick's, performance unknown, warranty unknown. ...with serious consideration of #2.
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If Vicks were to post pictures of it installed IN A REAL X1/9, showing it to be an actual drop-in replacement, then yes, I would have given it serious consideration. As it is, all I see are pictures of something which resembles an X1/9 rad only in a broad/generic way. It's really too bad, because IAP was in the process of developing an aluminum X rad, but I was recently informed they abandoned it because they didn't think it was marketable at $700 a copy, even though I told them I'd buy TWO if they were ready to go.

I have to be pragmatic about this stuff.

John O.
 
I'm with ya John,

If I could get a true drop-in replacement to the original X1/9 radiator, $750 is still a good deal.
I'm trying to find someone on the east coast that would build one up for me.
 
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