Radiator Help

DFG 5OH

Active Member
Aug 28, 2004
1,341
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36
Louisville, KY
Well i made a thread about my car getting too hot. So i'm thinking about getting an alumn. radiator. My radiator leaks some...and prolly doesnt cool as good as it used to. my question is, would an alumanum radator out of a 94 T-Bird fit my car? I read that they were a direct swap, and a good/cheap way to get a better radiator. Also, i found a radiator out of a 96 cobra. Would this fit? And i also found a what looks to be Alumn. radiator outta a 96 GT. Which of these would be the best fit/deal? I could prolly get all of them got under $100.
 
Just in case you didn't know, your stock radiator is aluminum too......Just wanted to clarify in case you thought different.

But seriously, buy a good aftermarket radiator and be done with it.
Scott
 
i dont have the funds right now to get a new rad. i didnt know the stock was alumn. i'm gonna check a local junkyard and see what i can come up with, if a t-bird's rad. is no bigger then i'll stick with the one i got.
 
Both cars came with 1" thick radiators IIRC. I just looked up specs from one source (definately take this for what it is worth - I dont trust many such sources). It said that the bird rad (for a mod motor in the year you listed) is a couple inches less wide, a few inches taller and might have different hose bung sizes.

Just a heads up. FWIW, one can get rad's online (oem replacements) for around 100-120 bucks.

Good luck.
 
Some guys use products like CLR to remove scale inside the radiator.
But if yours leaks, that is not good and it might leak even more after doing that (you will unclog all the pin holes leaks).

You are also losing cooling ability by not having the system quite at full pressure (each PSI increases the effective boiling point by 3*F).

For the birdie radiator, like I said the info was just to be taken for what it's worth. A quick eyeballling of one is worth it, but they had a small front end just like stangs.

I have come across one guy who said he used a HD fox 3 core radiator in an SN. But that radiator now costs about what an alum universal radiator does and would likely require just as much fabrication to fit.

I am trying to think of budget ideas and not doing so hot. You can call a rad shop or 10 and see what they say. I kinda doubt they can do much with our stock radiators since they have plastic tanks. Maybe they have or can whip something up that would fit and not cost too much. It might be worth taking 10 mins to call.

A lot of online rad places have free shipping, lifetime warranty and cheap prices.

Good luck.