[Fullback66]

Hey guys,

I have 66 GTO.
Stock 389 Tri-power. Bored to a 400 now, no A/C

Looking to get an Aluminum radiator. I want it to fit and look just like the stock radiator.

I want to cool down the engine a little more.
Will this work?

What do you recommend?

Thanks
FB66

[Vroom_vroom]

Cold case makes a nice product and the price is right. Can be painted as well. Did this on the vette so it wouldn’t be so apparent.


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[wbnapier]

I had a custom one made. It doesn't have a stock appearance, but works great. 2 electric fans, each on its own relay. I would talk to a pro.

https://the-fan-man.com/ (The company I used)

https://thebrassworks.net/ (I've heard this company is good)

[Stuart]

Could be your original radiator just needs to be flushed out and cleaned, then you don't need to go to the trouble and expense of replacing it.

[ZeGermanHam]

Cold Case is going to be about as close as you'll get regarding an aluminum radiator that somewhat resembles the factory unit. That said, there are fewer "ribs" on the top tank than came on the factory radiator, so if you know what you're looking at, the Cold Case is immediately recognizable as not stock. But for many, it's close enough. Just depends on whether you're aiming for a true 100% correct factory appearance. I have the Cold Case in my '66 and like it. Fit perfectly for me.

[Fullback66]

Did the radiators make a difference with the temperature of engine? Cooler?

[GTO JONES]

I did the cold case for mine keeps the 571 cu Pontiac pump gas cool. Use your stock shroud.

[Fullback66]

Thanks GTO jones

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by Fullback66

Did the radiators make a difference with the temperature of engine? Cooler?

In my case I can't say to what extent the radiator helped, because I was replacing an older radiator that had major deposits clogging it up, and I also installed a new high-flow water pump, clearanced the divider plate, HD fan clutch, smaller water pump pulley, and a shroud all at the same time. With the new parts, I've let my car idle for 45min+ and it didn't go over 195F. With the old cooling system parts, the temp used to creep up pretty quickly, and would be 220-230F and climbing after about 10 minutes of idling.

[lust4speed]

I went Cold Case and it cooled noticeably better than a 4 core brass desert cooler that it replaced. The brass radiator was in great shape but after adding Vintage Air the temps would creep up in traffic. The new radiator solved that. Used Eastwood radiator paint and except for the top tank not saying "Harrison" it looks pretty close to stock.

Note the tube width on the Cold Case. While the are all two row, some of their units have 1" tubes and some are 1.25". As long as you are spending the money go for maximum cooling ability.

[Vroom_vroom]

Shameless plug for there customer support! Had some issues with air pockets on one of our trucks when I put one in and they where all about getting me fixed up. They love to run what they sell and are happy to help when you have a problem (and they actually know what they are talking about) Customer service seems to be a lost art anymore but cold case’s was very impressive.


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[Fullback66]

Great information guys!
Thanks

[wolf]

Griffin makes a rad that's almost identical in appearance to the stock rad. Not cheap, but looks perfect, and cools awesome.

[GT182]

I went the Cold Case route too back when PY had their last show. Always thought the original radiators were superior to aluminum. Boy was I wrong.

With a 180 thermostat, engine temp in my 400 stays around 175 even on hot days. Last October I drove from home up to West Chester, PA for the WMGK 2023 Calendar photo shoot. Temp never went over 170 all the way up and back home. And it wasn't a cold day and I didn't baby the car.

The only thing I don't like about the Cold Case is the drain is not where the originals were in 66. It's now on the driver's side.

Two suggestions. If you paint it don't put the paint on too heavy. Do paint the front of it. I've seen cars at shows where it wasn't painted, and it looked like crap seeing the unpainted front of the radiator thru the front grills. And I wasn't alone saying it. The "Off Branders" said the same thing, and even those with originals said the same thing too.

"Off Branders" meaning those with different car makes and those with different makes of aluminum radiators.

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by GT182

...
Two suggestions. If you paint it don't put the paint on too heavy. Do paint the front of it. I've seen cars at shows where it wasn't painted, and it looked like crap seeing the unpainted front of the radiator thru the front grills. And I wasn't alone saying it. The "Off Branders" said the same thing, and even those with originals said the same thing too.
...

Thanks for this warning.

What paint is recommended? Seems it would have to be thin, more like a lacquer or something formulated to not build much.

I just installed a Cold Case radiator and chose to not paint it but my front bumper and grills are off. You raise a good point about the appearance from the front. Under the hood I personally don't care... I even tolerate the Cold Case logo on the inside face.

[wolf]

On my Griffin, I used a gloss black enamel on the top and bottom tanks, with enough coating thickness so it looked good. The tanks don't contribute much to the heat convection so the paint isn't much of an issue there.

The core however, is where the heat transfer really happens, so I just dusted on enough flat black to get rid of the aluminum appearance in front. On the rear I dusted on the same paint, but biased the spray towards the viewing direction from the top (i.e. if you look at it from the bottom side you can still see some aluminum appearance).

Hope that helps.

[hgerhardt]

I've had a Griffin in my '66 GTO for about 12 years now. Painted the top tank black and to me looks stock. Looking at the backside, you can see the welding at the base of the tank, but not that obtrusive. Cools much better than the copper/brass Desert Cooler I had in there previously.

[3X24SPD]

I'm getting ready to purchase an aluminum radiator for my 66 GTO.
Going with Cold Case.
I'm buying a 65 Radiator for it though- put the top hose on the passenger side.
Look much nicer.
I think the factory 66+ driver side upper looks hokey swinging back going over and around the alternator.
If it wasn't for that, I'd be tempted to try one of those cheap $150 aluminum ebay specials.
Anybody tried one of those?

[Fullback66]

Originally Posted by hgerhardt

I've had a Griffin in my '66 GTO for about 12 years now. Painted the top tank black and to me looks stock. Looking at the backside, you can see the welding at the base of the tank, but not that obtrusive. Cools much better than the copper/brass Desert Cooler I had in there previously.

I like the color. What paint did you use?

[Fullback66]

Originally Posted by wolf

On my Griffin, I used a gloss black enamel on the top and bottom tanks, with enough coating thickness so it looked good. The tanks don't contribute much to the heat convection so the paint isn't much of an issue there.

The core however, is where the heat transfer really happens, so I just dusted on enough flat black to get rid of the aluminum appearance in front. On the rear I dusted on the same paint, but biased the spray towards the viewing direction from the top (i.e. if you look at it from the bottom side you can still see some aluminum appearance).

Hope that helps.

What paint did you use?