Time has come to look for a radiator for the project.
It's an '89, 6 spd , and it's gonna have a 383 in it.
I know people like DeWitt$, and that Be Cool is available.
Jegs has Champion available. Instead of $560 for DeWitt$, it's a little over two bills. I'm skeptical.
But the price make a certain temptation hard to ignore. But you get what you pay for.

I know others exist, any suggestions?

OH yea, Bob, Leadfoot Racing.

Seriously though, my 92's been sitting puking coolant.

I'm not thrilled with getting another OEM with plastic side tanks. Even though mine ran to 94k miles. AND the inexpensive replacements get crappy reviews.

I found these guys on the web, they get good reviews.
Click on "About Champion" and note how they are built.

AND-----look at the price, $200 shipped. This is what I'm getting.



http://www.championradiators.com/Chev ... -radiator-2-row-1984-1990

BeCool here, very happy

Thanks for the info guys.
I have a decent sense of respect for the folks on this forum, so I think I'm gonna go with the Champion. At that price it's just too hard to ignore even if I have to jump thru a couple hoops.
If I had the coin to go with a BeCool or DeWitts I'd do it, but the extra $300 will go nicely towards some mufflers and other expenses that come up with projects.

GOT A DEWITT'S IN THE '87, THOUGH I SURE DON'T RECOLLECT PAYING $560 FOR IT. GOT A CHAMPION THREE TUBE IN THE '95 THAT THE PO HAD PUT IN. I CAN TELL NO DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE.

My Dewitts with spal fan was $450 during the 10% off sale during xmas a few years back.

I have the DeWitts... this was after the OEM radiator died, replaced with another GM radiator, that lasted all of 3 years before the seals on the side tank went south.

At the time, the GM replacement radiators were selling for about $200 each... and if they lasted only 3 or 4 years, lets get a real radiator and be done with it. So I did... a DeWitts. It was about $495 for a manual trans LT1.

Champion, if they existed, I was unaware of them then. Then, by the way, was 10 years ago.

AFAIK, no issues with the DeWitts.

My only concern, is that the Champion rads are made in China... I don't know what this does for durability.

Quote:

I have no experience with them, yet.

They state that the facility is ISO qualified.

And for higher dollars, they will build you one in the U.S.
Plus the reviews are good.
We'll see when I get mine.

"While our radiators are manufactured in China, hence the low price point, they are designed in the U.S. If an American made radiator is preferred instead, please call us for availability. There will be a price difference to accommodate the American labor being put into it. A standard 2-row is $169.98, and an American made 2-row with 1" tubes is $279.98"

Still a good price.

agreed.

As I said, I don't remember if Champion was available back in the day.

Quote:

LOOKED IT UP AND I DID NOT PAY $560. I PAID $580 SHIPPED. THE MEMORY IS THE SECOND THING TO GO :-0

The Champion is not a bad radiator at all. For the money IME your getting a good radiator.

If you guys remember, I put one in Elsie's 79 back in 2011.... It's still going strong and still running cool.

My folks drive the car every weekend for fun just like Elsie and I did when we owned it.

My complaints with our Champion radiator were:

1. The visual appearance of the TIG welds on the side tanks..... I mean if your going to have the tanks made from fabricated sheet aluminum at least get someone to weld it up who knows how to lay down a row of dimes.... Otherwise just do what everybody else does and use factory appearing stamped aluminum side tanks.

2. The supplied nipple for the overflow hose was the wrong size to fit the factory overflow hose.

3. The transmission cooler fittings (female threaded bung)in the tank seemed kinda loose threading the factory tranny cooler hard lines up... but they did tighten up fine and so far have never leaked (going on 5yrs).

4. The teflon tape was pre-wrapped on the overflow nipple and drain pet cock.... of course it was wrapped the wrong way.

Now none of my complaints made a hill of beans difference in the fit and function of the radiator.... like I said, it's a good solid radiator for the money. In the end I was more than happy with what we got for the $149.00 I paid.
Will

Thanks, this helps!

The purchase is made, I have a Champion 3-row here at the house, awaiting installation.
Thanks to all for your help.

Be sure to let you know how it looks, fits and works.

I'd be curious if they have worked to improve their product or gotten worse or just decided they are doing well enough.
Will