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Re: Radiator re-core costs

Wow! Thanks some price to pay to keep it original. It would be very useful if anyone can suggest any modern car model(s) that have a core size, and reasonable capacity, to which the A7 headers could be soldered.
Ron

Location: Thornbury S Glos

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Ron

The problem is that modern cars dont have copper rad cores they are aluminum and cant be soldered to A7 tanks, they also often have round tubes. This is why R's pictures above show specially built radiators, using a modern core.

I found a 1.2 Opel Kadett c radiator would fit in a short chummy shell, but that was 30 years ago when they were still a current ish car.

Stuart

Location: Devon

Re: Radiator re-core costs

You don't give a location,but if near here try Brian on 07736164826,has done wonders on my special rad and very reasonable.

Location: The Pits,Leicester

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Modern core with a dummy honeycomb at the front for an original appearance might be a more economical option

Location: Farnham

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Rob - I assume that your original reference to Porthcawl means that you're somewhere in South Wales. If you are, try Hereford Radiators on 01432 274227. They're not a million miles from you and are a proper, old-fashioned firm. I've used them for radiator and fuel tank repairs for many years and have always found them very good on price and service.

Location: Herefordshire (with an "E", not a "T"!)

Re: Radiator re-core costs

David
Modern core with a dummy honeycomb at the front for an original appearance might be a more economical option


The last dummy honeycomb sheet I bought was for an RL saloon, the 21" x 16" by 1/4" sheet cost £112 in 2011.

The result was very pleasing.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Thanks Martin.

Just tried them and they'll do it for £150 + vat and postage.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Modern core fitted to Austin tanks locally last Summer. £120. Traditional core would have been approximately £400.

Steve

Location: Nr. Selby, North Yorkshire

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Rob Thomas
Thanks Martin.

Just tried them and they'll do it for £150 + vat and postage.


If that's for re-coring it sounds good even by their standards! I take it that you and they are clear about exactly what you want.

Location: Herefordshire (with an "E", not a "T"!)

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Wrexham radiators did mine, mine is a modern core with dummy honeycomb as Ruairidh has described for a similar car.

I've not known Wrexham radiators beaten on price, they recently made me a complete core with the brass plates for my brother in laws diesel Wallis Advance roller. It set me back £300 yet the next cheapest quote I got was £700.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Dave Wortley
Or that two part epoxy putty you use to mend holes in household plumbing.Milliput or Evo-Stick Plumbers Mait.


Location: Sheffield, the home of Henderson's Relish.

Hello Dave,
Ah, Henderson's Relish. My pal Bob is from Sheffield and a good few years ago he gave me a box (12 I think). Marvelous stuff. Is it still available?
Dave

Location: Bonnie Galloway

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Sure is. I've got a couple of bottles down here.Still the same little family owned factory near the University:



website here: http://www.hendersons-relish.co.uk

Location: Damp but mild southern France

Re: Radiator re-core costs

and my youngest, who lives in Sheffield, just gave me a bottle for Christmas - I always splash a bit on a slice of cheese on toast

Yum!

Location: Cambridge

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Reckers,
I think I read recently in the Sheffield Telegraph that Henderson's have outgrown their lovely old factory and are moving to a modern unit somewhere out of town.Same old recipe I hope.
Dave.

Location: Sheffield, the home of Henderson's Relish.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Dave W,
If you look on Recker's link it seems to be available in very few places north of the border. Perhaps they can do a mail order service.This is becoming quite removed from Austin Sevens but never mind,this is usual on A7 Friends!
Dave.

Location: Sheffield, the home of Henderson's Relish.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Back to A7's. I remember talking to a Scott motorbike owner in the 70's who had made his own honeycomb radiator core for his water cooled engine using say 5/16" bore copper tube,each length of tube being the thickness of the finished core. He made a male hex. tool to produce the hex shaped ends of each tube which were then set up in a former and soldered together. A labour of love,but surely very satisfying to see something you have made almost entirely from scratch.

Location: Sheffield, the home of Henderson's Relish.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Dave Wortley
Dave W,
If you look on Recker's link it seems to be available in very few places north of the border. Perhaps they can do a mail order service.This is becoming quite removed from Austin Sevens but never mind,this is usual on A7 Friends!
Dave.


As a lifelong addict of Henderson's I now buy mine on line in 1 litre plastic bottles from here. http://www.theyorkshirepantry.com/henderson-s-relish-1-litre-bottle.html

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Dave Wortley
Back to A7's. I remember talking to a Scott motorbike owner in the 70's who had made his own honeycomb radiator core for his water cooled engine using say 5/16" bore copper tube,each length of tube being the thickness of the finished core. He made a male hex. tool to produce the hex shaped ends of each tube which were then set up in a former and soldered together. A labour of love,but surely very satisfying to see something you have made almost entirely from scratch.


The challenge with the above is getting hold of the correct thinwall pipes.

I have a radiator repair to do on my later Scott, thankfully only a seam on the sidetank that has let go,so will be relatively easy.

Years ago Dad & I built a vertical tubed radiator for our 1908 prototype Vauxhall. Over 10,000 horizontal square fins pushed & soldiered onto thinwall tubes. In this case I think from memory they were brass. The fins were stamped out by a tool & die maker. The radiator was the only mechanical component missing when Jack found this in 1950.

I have another to do with smaller fins for a 1912 racing Vauxhall. Fins and tubes ready for a large soldier bath but the complex vee shaped shell is yet to be beaten up out of German Silver.
I have recently found out that some vertical tubed radiators had a twisted flat plate inside each tube. This keeps the water flow against the sides of the tubes and aids heat transfer.

The third photo of R's above is of a '20's Vauxhall. Likely a 23-60, or 30-98. When I restored the Edwardian 30-98 in the UK, I had it's slightly different version (more delicate and with a 2 rib bead) made in 1993 by a radiator firm either just in Wales, or this side of the Severn, near the Bristol bridge. He made both the shell, in German Silver, and the honeycomb core. He comes highly recommended, if still in business.

The last honeycomb radiator that I had re-done was in 2005, and by Replicore here in NZ. It was for our 14-40 Vauxhall and involved a new honeycomb core and a complete dismantle and re-soldier of the shell. The cost for this was NZ$6500. Thankfully I was working for 8 months over winter in Antarctica and had nothing else to spend money on!

Note; All old radiators with water tight shells require new soldiered joints because the soldier erodes/drops out of its alloy, over of the 80 odd years of life and looses its strength. Some folks don't do this when re-coring of radiators. They regret this within a few years.

Back to Austins
Our Ulster-oidish has been having overheating problems of late.
The last trip of 500 miles a couple of weekends ago still showed water usage even though I had replaced the badly cracked head before I left. (That head is a considerably ported Ruby, and was on the powerful special that I used in the UK) The car now only uses water if I am pushing the motor hard.

So the next thing will be a radiator clean out, or replacement core. Looking at the core just now it is a honeycomb style but not like the true honeycombs as in the Vauxhall radiator, 3rd pic above, which are made from many horizontal tubes.
The 7 honeycomb, that I have, is made out of vertical pressed sheets. You have to look close to see the difference.
Fingers crossed we will be able to soak out all the crud...

Cheers from a sunny day in Shaketown.
John



Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Re: Radiator re-core costs

The Vintage Honeycomb Radiator Company in Queensland makes new 'film type' honeycomb radiators - From the costing chart, an Austin 7 radiator would be about A$730.

Not sure if there are any UK 'film type' honeycomb core makers?

http://www.ftrs.com.au/index.php

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

I had mine re-cored with a modern core, it cost about £120.00 and was done by Brighton Radiators, now in Lewes.

They also did my radiator in my "modern", 1965 Rover P6, well, actually, they have replaced the core three times now, that is in 8 years, the next time, they will do it for free.

The problem with the modern core is that the quality of the copper is poor and the cooling fins disintegrate to a red dust, once that starts happening, there is nothing that can be done.

The last one started to disintegrate and leak as well, they could have repaired the leak, but the writing was on the wall, so 3rd time replacement.

The radiator man says it is the salt-laden environment coupled with the quality of the copper that is the cause of the deterioration, but he agrees with me that the service life of a modern core is far too short and that is why he will be doing the next re-core for free.

Had I known this at the start, I would have gone for a bespoke radiator in aluminium, it would have probably worked out cheaper.

The Austin is not yet on the road so is protected from the atmosphere, but my expectation is low - when this deteriorates I will bite the bullet and look at something that can stand the rigours of the seaside.

Location: Saltdean, Brighton - damp

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Well, new radiator arrived today. I tried to fit it and the core is about 5mm too tall to go in without fouling the starting handle nose piece.

Bu66er!

They are going to collect it tomorrow and have another try.

Location: Just west of Cardiff

Re: Radiator re-core costs

I should add for the record that it was £212 to include delivery for a modern core but in 2 inch thickness, so, better than the standard modern core size.

Location: Just west of Cardiff

Re: Radiator re-core costs

I've just ordered my new core today - correct Chummy 'A' type pattern - an eye watering £325 + VAT.

I think the core for my saloon was half that 5 years ago.

Peter

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Gary Edwards
.... The problem with the modern core is that the quality of the copper is poor

The first time I encountered this was in property maintenance with copper pipes that had been installed after the 3 day week etc.,
The copper had been imported from East Europe.
Fairly soon we had leaks in roof's etc., to deal with from pin holes in the pipes.
Presumably we (UK) don't have any, or very little copper production now?

Sandy Croall (ex. Property and Grounds Maintenance D.L.O. Manager).

Location: Mousehole, 58 miles west of Bob Kneale... and still in Cornwall.

Re: Radiator re-core costs

Sandy Croall
Gary Edwards
.... The problem with the modern core is that the quality of the copper is poor

The first time I encountered this was in property maintenance with copper pipes that had been installed after the 3 day week etc.,
The copper had been imported from East Europe.
Fairly soon we had leaks in roof's etc., to deal with from pin holes in the pipes.
Presumably we (UK) don't have any, or very little copper production now?

Sandy Croall (ex. Property and Grounds Maintenance D.L.O. Manager).


Try here Sandy, Copper tube

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire