I’m on the home stretch getting my daughter’s 60 V8 convertible finished up. She and her husband moved to Phoenix from Denver last month and we all know it can get hot in Phoenix. Im a little concerned about the car running hot if she gets stuck in traffic and it’s 110 degrees. I presently have a good two row original radiator in it but looking on line I see four row aluminum units in the two hundred dollar range. They don’t look original but a little black paint might tone the bright aluminum down a little. Has anybody in the club done a good comparison test with radical results?
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Just a tip if you do go the aluminum radiator route.
Look at the ones that come with electric fans and a shroud. Some are the same price with or without the shroud and fans. If you need to use it in the future you already have it but you can use the radiator without the electric setup if you want to use your belt driven fan."Goonies Never Say Die!" -
No sure which aluminum radiator is best but, for sure, the OEM two-row radiator will be a disaster in the desert.Comment
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Either or.
I've put a 2 row (wide flat tubes) aluminum radiator into my 54 wagon (soon to be daily driver) with two 12" Delta PAG fans. We'll see what happens. This radiator was made by the "Radiator Lady" (actually a guy!). I gave him a stock radiator, and he copied it in aluminum. He can also get four row cores, also with flat / wide tubes. My other "hot rod wagon will get one of those, also with two 12" fans.
On the other hand, I drove my 59 Lark wagon with an OEM three row, for just over 93,000 miles in SoCal, with many 105°/108° summer days. Which includes sitting in fast food lines, et-al, with no problem.
The reasons for my "two" 12" fans - 1. they cover more of the core than one large fan. 2. it's not very often that "two" fans would fail at the same time, so "one" is almost a "backup" for a single...fan failure.
You pick..!
MikeComment
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Tube size and length, number, space between tubes, and fins per square inch are important specs in choosing a radiator. The OEM two row radiator is the bottom of the barrel, with 1/2" tubes, and two rows of about 44-46 tubes across the radiator. Modern aluminum radiators come with 2" and larger tubes, and can include 'Sirocco style' double pass, and other modern features. For all three of our Hawks, I had copper /brass cores installed: 5/8" tubes, 65-66 across, three rows, about 1" longer than OEM due to mod of the tank bottom, and more fins per square inch. If you do the math, this is equivalent to a 5-row radiator, if Stude had made such a thing. They cost $750 each, about 10-15 years ago, but none of the 3 Hawks have ever ran hot, or even overly warm since, and all three have AC. A top line radiator is one of the best investments in a Stude that's gonna be driven, especially in the desert.Originally posted by Mike Van Veghten View Post
I recently took the 56J's radiator back to the same shop in Louisville for inspection since the 352 motor was out for rebuild. Still the same 2 old guys running it and serving the local Hot Rodders for decades), they charged about $75 for the inspection / refurbishment. One guy told me they get radiators and heater cores from all over the country for R&R. I consider it a blessing to have them only 40 miles away. They advise anyone going to an offshore radiator to be sure to not dispose of their old copper / brass radiators. LOLComment
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And now for all the old timers to chime in: Did Studebaker offer different radiators for different regions of the country ? Does anyone here remember if, when new, cars overheated in warm climes regardless of marque ? I don't mean parades or long mountainous driving, or in persistent traffic. I'd guess lots of issues have been with cars north of 100k miles and 30+ years old, and many, many coolant changes. Once your block is clean and a good radiator and pump are installed with the correct belt tension I have never have a problem. I'm not the brightest mechanic on the tree, but every engine that I have ever rebuilt with clean block, new water pump and a good known tested original radiator, and good t-stat (in most case standard Stude factory)..... I have never had any overheating problems including 2 63' Cruisers with AC. Regardless of thermostat, they kept the designed temps in all driving conditions. Have I been lucky ?Comment
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In the 1980s I lived along the coast in Oceanside California, where temps seldom exceeded 70s-80s. I bought the 62GT in 1985 and drove it around local, and never a problem with its 2-row radiator. Then I installed AC, and later drove it over to ElCentro. Going over the mountains, I rode along with the AC blasting, enjoying the cold air, and paid little attention to the (climbing) temp gauge. Shortly after dropping down to the desert floor and then turning around to go home I noticed the gauge was nearly pegged, and then later it did peg. I pulled over to check and add coolant, was nearly scalded, and learned what NOT to do when the temp gauge pegs. I drove the rest of the way home with the AC off and watching the gauge closely as it remained near the peg. Later I consulted Lester Schmidt who recommended a 3-row radiator. The 3-row was OK for all but the desert, and was only marginal when using the AC in temps of 90 or more. When I moved to the desert, I went to a local radiator shop there and had a 'desert cooler' custom made; 4-rows, squeezed in between the OEM tanks. It was a major improvement, but the current 5-row (equivalent) radiators are what I really needed from day one in 1985. I have no idea about what was standard issue for radiators, but 3-row Stude radiators are much easier to find on the west coast.Originally posted by jackb View PostComment
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Nels, on my 60 Convertible, I ended up going with a $199 ebay aluminum radiator. The cost to re-core my collection of Lark radiators was crazy money around here. If you go this route, note that the radiator I ended up using is shorter than stock. I ended up making a block off plate from an old metal shelf to mount at the bottom of the radiator frame, as the fan was pulling too much air from under, as opposed to through, the radiator. One other thing to look out for is the rubber donut used on convertibles to mount the front clip in front of the radiator. I had to shave some of this down, and slightly space the radiator out to avoid the radiator from coming into contact with the donut. So far, so good, as far as cooling. If I would have fogged the top of the tank black, it wouldn't stand out so much either.
Eric DeRosa
\'63 R2 Lark
\'60 Lark ConvertibleComment
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Put an Al radiator in 62 Hawk 'cause the last recore I had done was >$700!! The aluminum radiator works great. It had an original 2 row in it and it had clearly been run very hot. It was originally sold in Atlanta (aka Hotlanta) so why the dealer ordered it with an inadequate radiator???Comment
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We are running 3 Studebakers with al radiators we are using ones for a Jeep CJ with a chevy engine. Drill 4 new holes and bolt it in. also running dual electric fans. My 59 wagon. Son James111 63 Daytona with a modified R2 and 64 Champ with a 320 Studebaker engine R1 cam, T85od and 4:10 rear. He towed our 31 ft rv to the National meet in Indy. No over heating on any of them. And on the way home, he was running 65 to 70 mph on 31.
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Good tip on the donut interference. I’ll watch for that when/if I buy one. The ones I am looking at are the same height as the Stude but the finned area is shorter and the bottom tank is taller.Originally posted by 2R2 View PostComment
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Nels,
" They don’t look original but a little black paint might tone the bright aluminum down a little. "
I seem to recall that my radiator specialist stated radiator paint was specific to radiators, as I believe he was referencing heat dissipation.
Perhaps check this out before proceeding.
Cheers,
BillComment
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Re: Radiator paint - Yes, there is a specific paint so as to not reduce heat transfer. Had some a few years back, provided by a radiator shop. Try our friend Mr Google for a source.
ALSO: RE post #4- Definitely agree w/ twin fans (vs single large one), Also, connected the two fans separately to separate fan controllers so as to get quieter operation at lower temp requirements and less draw on electrical system. Set one controller about 10 - 15 degrees lower than the other. ALSO - Some of the controllers are now available for individual control of two fans (they were not available 16 yrs ago when mine was installed.) Check the mail-order car parts (Summit, Jegs, etc) and the fan manufacturers/dealers.
paulkLast edited by Paul Keller; 12-31-2021, 10:50 PM.Comment
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Eastwood sells the radiator paint in satin or gloss. https://www.eastwood.com/ew-radiator...in-finish.htmlTom Senecal Not enough money or years to build all of the Studebakers that I think I can.Comment
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