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MG MGB Technical - Re-core or Replace Radiator

My 1979 B radiator has had it, took it to a place in Leeds and cost for a re-core is £150 so would be cheaper to replace with a Rad from moss (15% off leaflet arrived this morning). Is it better to re-core or buy new? This is the original radiator that was on the car form new so it has stood the test of time. Are the new ones as good quality? Deep down I would rather re-core but is the extra money worth it? Does anyone else know of a cheaper company to do the work.
C Carter

Is the recore as good a quality as the original? How long will it take? Who would you rather argue with in the event of a problem? I'm not sure keeping the top and bottom tanks is worth the hassle for me.
Paul Hunt

Deciding whether or not to recore a radiator depends on the
state of your tanks, the quality of the new core, and the skills
and guarantee of the local rebuilder.

Frankly, I do not trust parts that are made in countries where
the primary mode of transport for most of its citizens (including
the people who are actually making the parts) - are a pair of
homemade sandals, bicycles, or livestock.

With that in mind, I would prefer to recore whenever possible.
Daniel Wong

I replaced the original radiator, in my '67 B, two years ago with one from Moss. I was skeptical at first, but when it arrived I found it to be an exact replica of the original radiator, right down to the threaded hole for the drain valve. My only complaint was they could have been a bit more generous with the paint job. I sprayed it with some high temperature black paint and it's performed very well since I installed it. RAY
rjm RAY

Hi

I had mine recored 9 months ago, cost was £112. At the time this was the cheapest I could find. It was well done and looked like new.

Ronnie
RA Potter

"With that in mind, I would prefer to recore whenever possible."

Where does the core come from?
Paul Hunt

Hi Paul

My radiator was recored by Hartlepool Radiators. I suppose there is every chance the core came from China, who knows. Unfortunately, every thing seems to come from there nowadays. I also preferred to have my radiator recored as if there were any problems I only had a short drive to have it seen to as opposed to returning it to suppliers far away.

Ronnie
RA Potter

C-
Like Daniel Wong, I mistrust the radiators currently on the market. A few years ago Moss Motors was vending ones from Portugal, and they were awful. Purchasers actually shook shards of solder out of them!However, Ray's more recent purchase would seem to indicate that Moss Motors is doing better. Personally, I always recore with a four-row louvered fin aluminum alloy core. They're lighter, and they're sure to outperform any OE equivalent. If your tanks are pronounced to be sound by the radiator shop, then that's the best way to go.
Stephen Strange

If you have access to a known good radiator shop, which sources its parts from name brand dealers, re-coring is indeed the best route to go. However, these are getting harder and harder to locate. The unit that I received from Moss last year was identical, in every way, to the original radiator installed in the car back in '67. I was amazed at this since it showed its country of origin as China. Apparently, Moss has them made to their personal specifications. They seem to be made to the highest standards. RAY
rjm RAY

For anyone in the Midlands, I can recommend West Mercia Radiators from personal experience.

http://www.westmerciaradiators.co.uk/

I've had radiators re-cored there and I recently took the radiator and heater matrix for my B, which they cleaned, tested and painted (the rad) for £20.
Dave O'Neill2

hi guys,

I'm too close to China, I always sourced some custom parts from China as the cost is much lower than shipping similar items from Europe or N. America.

I ordered a all aluminum radiator with 2 1-inch rows core 5 years ago, the quality is Ok and until now it still in my 70 mgb gt. But I had to trim the mounting bracket and holes, I always wondered why the difference as an old oe radiator was provided to them as a template.

I am not complaining as it only cost me about USD80 at that time.

Ennio
Hong Kong
ennio wong

I just had mine recored with a thicker core. It was considerabley more expensive than new. will see how it works out. did this to an MGA years ago and it was a ggod move.
Jimmy Chew

I went for a 30% uprated radiator on the V8 when that needed replacing as the temp gauge would get pretty high when stuck in traffic on a hot day. Very disappointed with the results, the 30% relates simply to a 4th row of tubes behind the original three, and by the time the air has been past those it picks up relatively little extra from the additional row. The biggest improvement by far came from attending to the electrics.
Paul Hunt

What you need is a staggered tube radiator, if the folk you ring say you don't need this find a firm that does the tubes properly as per the original.

http://www.coolexperts.co.uk/motor-vehicle/recores/motor-vehiclerecoresgill-on-tube-cores/

Peter
Peter Burgess Tuning

This thread was discussed between 05/09/2013 and 03/10/2013

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