Avanti Radiator = Ford Galaxy Radiator

[Corley]

Took my '63 Avanti radiator to an old school shop for trans cooler replacement, and the guy insisted it was for a mid '60s Ford Galaxy. (This guy really knows his stuff, been in business for 40+ years now.) I kept telling him "no, it's a Studebaker Avanti". He said he'd done a number of Studebaker Avanti radiators in the past, and this was not like those. Finally, to try to convince me, he pulled out an old Ford radiator, and sure enough, they looked identical except for the spacing on the trans cooler lines. Mount holes were the same, inlet/outlet the same, and all. I know mine is original, still has the original paint on it, fits like a glove, etc. Do you suppose in the hast to get out the Avanti, Stude engineers found that a Ford radiator fit the needs and just used that??? (Of course neither Ford nor Studebaker built the thing, it would probably have come from some vendor...)

[PackardV8]

Well, the Avanti surge tank is very similar to that used on some Ford Thunderbirds.

jack vines

[61Lark]

Do you have a picture of your radiator?

[DEEPNHOCK]

Radiators are built by vendors.
Vendor pricing is based on volume.
Betcha a South Bend donut that the Studebaker people saved a few bucks by using
an off the shelf vendor number and made the design of that radiator fit the car.

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

I believe there is a difference.
I knew a radiator repair man and twice when I had him recore an Avanti radiator I would get it back with the tanks or mounting brackets assembled incorrectly. I can't remember exactly, but something like for the brackets to fit the Avanti the drain cock was on top. His excuse was that he was so used to doing Ford radiators that that was the way they were. It was a mounting bracket issue - of course Ford radiators had the drain cock on the bottom.
The second Avanti radiator I had him do, I went over the configuration with him so it was correct for the Avanti. Guess how it was when I went to pick it up. Again incorrect. But of course he fixed it.

[64V-K7]

A looong time ago, I was told the Avanti used a contemporary Lincoln radiator

[Corley]

I believe there is a difference.
I knew a radiator repair man and twice when I had him recore an Avanti radiator I would get it back with the tanks or mounting brackets assembled incorrectly. I can't remember exactly, but something like for the brackets to fit the Avanti the drain cock was on top. His excuse was that he was so used to doing Ford radiators that that was the way they were. It was a mounting bracket issue - of course Ford radiators had the drain cock on the bottom.
The second Avanti radiator I had him do, I went over the configuration with him so it was correct for the Avanti. Guess how it was when I went to pick it up. Again incorrect. But of course he fixed it.

I'll let you know what Hart Radiator in Kelso Wa. does to this one when I get it back. My drain cock is, of course, on the bottom drivers side, next to the bottom hose nipple. Let's see if it stays there... I've had excellent luck with Hart in the past, so I'm hopeful.

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

I don't have an Avanti on the property at the moment, so I can't look at an Avanti radiator to help me remember what was wrong. But it was the mounting bracket were essentially upside down relative to the end tanks with fittings.
The core from the second job was almost new - just had 2 or 3 damaged rows from a mild collision. My radiator repair friend ended up using my Avanti core in his Ford oval track stock car.