Jack thro the radiator

[lewdon]

Help!! My S2 slipped off the jack last night (I was using a piece of wood to protect the new paint on the crossmember from the trolleyjack but being a pilley sillock I forgot how slippery waxoil can be) and the jack smacked into the radiator. Water everywhere. So radiator needs replacement or recore.
I know this has been discussed in the past, but search is under maintenance again and google just comes up with rubbish.
From what information I can find, new radiators appear to cost more than 200 and re-cores appear to cost well over a hundred. Has anyone found another make of radiator which will do the job at less cost. (I don't mind modifying the brackets etc). Any advice would be really appreciated.

[phillpot]

You'll need to be quick


maybe a slight problem with connections being wrong way round

[lewdon]

Thanks Phillpot unfortunately I was out in the garage taking the old rad out, so I wasnt quick enough. The connections being the wrong way round is not insoluble but would involve a lot of plumbing. Do you know of any other make that is the right size and has the top connection on the right?

[Barkychoc]

It's an old sherpa van rad with extra cores, I think you may struggle to be honest.

[phillpot]

Unless you happen upon a radiator (in good condition) for "silly" money I doubt it will be worth the trouble, cough up the 150 quid for a re-core and you'll know its all good 'n proper for years to come (imho).


And if it makes you feel better convince yourself it was starting to leak and would have needed doing soon anyway

[Top Gear TVR]

i seem to recall that deadpineapple did something different???? was it of an MG?

[lewdon]

Thanks everyone. I had a look at Deadpineapples diary and he used a MGF alloy rad. These are available at about £45 on fleabay. Making up new supports looks easy but, as the MGF is only 1.8, I wonder if they have enough cooling area. I would also need to buy new electric fan/fans which would push the cost up.. So best bet looks like a re-core (you are right Phillpot, I can see brown stains at the bottom of the rad where it looks as though it may have started to leak.). The only problem is that the two quotes for re-coring I have received today have been £250 and £290. Can anyone suggest anywhere that might do it for less than this.

[Top Gear TVR]

express radiators in Norwich - but thats miles for you / courier

[Griffinr]

"Son of Flinney" had one done in Northampton for £150 last year.

Rob

[phillpot]

Not local to you but mine was done by a place in Coventry for 150ish

(recommended by Adrian Venn @ Exactly TVR so I had full confidence in their workmanship)

[lewdon]

Thanks everyone. it looks as though I will have to start some serious phoning around, but any more suggestions will be very gratefully received

[v8s4me]

Couple of starting points here if you don't mind adapting the fittings

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RANGE-ROVER-CLASSIC-VOGU...

This one's got an oil cooler matrix as well - so there's a nice little project

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-ALFA-ROMEO-SPIDER-C...

[Barkychoc]

Personally I would not tit about trying to make something else fit - bite the bullet and give yourself a break these things happen.

[v8s4me]

Good advice.

[B16JUS]

Maby look for a alloy one which will help keep temps down, there are companies like pro alloy or forge who make them might be worth a call

[The Big G]

B16JUS said:

Maby look for a alloy one which will help keep temps down, there are companies like pro alloy or forge who make them might be worth a call

Also available through ACT and previously tvrcarparts.com so David Gerald may have one in stock. They're not cheap but are functional and look good too

[lewdon]

I only wish I could afford a nice shiny alloy one! If it was winter I would probably mess about finding and fitting a cheap modern alternative to save money, but as its summer and I want to be out in the car not working on it, I must agree with Barkychoc's wisdom and will get the rad re-cored but best quotes I have had so far are £185+V at a place near Crawley, and £200+V near Lewes. I'll phone around some more tomorrow. Does anyone know anywhere else that repairs radiators near Eastbourne, I can't seem to find anyone more local on't interweb thingy.

[phillpot]

Try asking around local garages, who do they use?

Can't imagine the scruffy little "back street" place I used having a website, (think he'd only just got a phone )

[Ceejay73]

These have caught my eye Ebay Link.
I haven't checked the dimensions properly but looking at the pic, if it would fit and was fitted upside down, you would still have a rad bleed tap and the extra small hose fitting would mean the water pump bypass hose could be plumbed correctly. So not just a different rad but an improvement.
Just a thought and something I plan to look at more closely when I eventually start to think about re-assembly of my car.
Cheers,
Carl.

[v8s4me]

Blimey.....that's cheap.