correct 69 radiator paint

[Greg L.]

I just checked the 68-69 TIM&JG and there is no mention of this. So what paint out there best matches the original color and sheen for the 69 brass radiators. I did a search and some suggest gloss while other say semi gloss so I'm a little confused. I think Eastwood has both but if I could find some locally from VHT or Krylon, etc then that would be easier...just need to make sure that it looks original and won't flake off.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

[John G.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg ..
If memory serves I believe there is a slightly different spray paint available that is used for painting radiators. Something to do with better heat dissipation. Any spray paint will 'work', of course. You might give Tom DeWitt a call.

[Joe L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg-----

Eastwood sells a special black paint supposedly formulated for use on radiators. However, I found it to be too glossy for a match with the gloss level of black originally used for 63-82 Corvette radiators. I would use an automotive grade, semi-gloss black paint. Quanta's semi-gloss black will be about right.

[Terry M.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg,
As crazy as this sounds -- take your radiator to a local radiator shop and ask them to paint it. They will likely understans if you tell them you are a Corvette restorer, but the price might be less if you just tell them you don't want it to corrode from driving the car.
The paints used by radiator shops today are different than the coatings used when our cars were new, but they are a reasonable substitute.

[Michael H.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Doesn't sound crazy to me Terry. That's the best advice so far, and while it's at the radiator shop, have then dunk it in the tank so it's clean on the outside AND the inside. That will eliminate all the work of trying to strip the original coating. I wouldn't attempt blasting any radiator with anything.

[Joe L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Terry------

From what I've seen, the paint that radiator shops generally use is way too high gloss with respect to original gloss level for Corvettes. I would say it's just about the same gloss level as the Eastwood radiator paint (it's probably what Eastwood has custom-packaged for them and sells as radiator paint). To me, it would stand out "like a sore thumb". It's very possible that different paints are used by radiator shops, though.

I believe that I have read that tests have been done using "special radiator paint" versus other general automotive-type paints on radiators and no significant difference is observed in cooling efficiency of the radiators with either. I have compared the gloss level of several NOS Corvette radiators that I have (both copper brass and aluminum) to the Quanta semi-gloss that I previously mentioned and I find it to be very close. Several other automotive semi-gloss blacks are close, too.

DeWitts offers an epoxy "ice coat" on their radiators. The gloss level of this coating is very similar to the original gloss level for all 63-82 Corvette radiators.

[Greg L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

I had thought about taking it to a rad shop for paint until I saw how they did it. They just blast it with some odd looking spray gun (remindes me of a cheap sand blaster gun) and it is full of runs and in general looks quite poor. I don't recall the gloss level but it was quite high. What I do remember is that the paint looked very thick!

Another reason that I need to paint it myself is because there are some very minor dings in the tanks that I want to fill with paint...sand down and re-paint until they are gone. I just finished replacing the core so while the tanks were off I removed as many dings as I could so it shouldn't be a big deal to block sand the rest of them out.

Sounds like the Quanta paint is what I'm looking for but a problem with that is they can't ship it up to Canada. Would you guys happen to know of an equivilent in the Krylon or VHT line as those I can get locally. Also, does the paint need to be a high heat type or will any regular enamel do? When I do finaly get the correct paint what would be the best way to prep the rad so that the paint stays on? Right now the core and tanks are bare so I would like to get it painted soon before corrosion sets in.

One last question...if there are runs on original radiators, which way should they flow?

Thanks guys.

[Joe L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg------

The Krylon offering USED TO BE perfect. However, the product known as #1613 was, sometime ago, reformulated and re-named from "semi-gloss black" to "semi-flat black". The change in the formulation made it a lot flatter. It's no longer suitable for semi-gloss applications. As far as VHT goes, I don't know of a product in their line that is suitable. However, there may be one. I would look for a VHT or other product that is labeled "semi-gloss black". Of course, each manufacturer's formulation for a product so-labled will differ, but I think they'll all be "within the range" of what you're after.

You do not need (and, do not want) a "very high heat paint". Most of these paints require very high heat in order to fully cure. Without full curing, they are far less durable than other paints. All you want is an "automotive grade" paint. These paints will easily withstand the highest temperature that any radiator is going to encounter. Any VHT product is going to fall in this category. Any OEM Paints (www.oempaints.com) product is going to fall into this category, also. Any paint labeled as "engine enamel" is fine, too.

Be careful when removing the dents from radiator tanks, especially when sanding the tanks. The material is quite thin. You can easily "go through" or render the material so thin that it will subsequently fail under pressure.

[John G.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg ..
To add to the paints Joe has listed you might also consider Rustleoum #7798, which is also a semi-gloss black. I used both Krylon #1613 and Rustoleum #7798 when doing various parts and the frame on my '64. The #7798 paint has a bit more sheen to it than the #1613.

[Terry M.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

It has been eight or ten years since I had a radiator re-cored, but the shop that did it back then used a asphalt based coating -- I would hardly call it paint -- that took weeks to dry while in daily use and was next to impossible to remove from my hands. I thought it was much like the original product, but I may have found the final batch of that stuff in the world. Not that it mattered for the 1978 Caprice hooptie.

Yes, radiator shops use(d) and acid to clean the radiator inside and out before working on it, and before coating. That would be the best method of removing old paint and other contaminates before coating it yourself.

[Greg L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

John

Funny that you mentioned the rustoleum #7798 as I think that the Canadian version of that is a Painters Choice brand which is made by Rustoleum. I used their semi-gloss on some of the other brackets because I too found the krylon #1613 to be a little too flat. It's sort of between a gloss and the #1613.

Come to think of it, the Eastwood Chassis black also has more gloss than the #1613 but is not a full gloss.... Maybe I should try that.

[Joe L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg-----

I have found the Eastwood Chassis Black to be WAY too high gloss----it's practically a full gloss. It might be ok for a hot rod chassis, but it's way too glossy for a Corvette chassis OR a Corvette radiator.

[Greg L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Thanks for the tip Joe.

This gloss thing is difficult to explain and maybe I shouldn't worry too much about it but if you were to have a scale of 0-5 with 0 being dead flat and 5 being full gloss where would you say the raditator gloss would fit in?

I would rate BBQ paint a 0, Krylon 1613 a rating of 2 and the Eastwood chassis black a 4. I think that the highest gloss that one could get from a spray bomb would be a 4 1/2 as you would need a cataylst to get a full gloss.

[Joe L.]

Re: correct 69 radiator paint

Greg-----

I would say about 3-1/2.