Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

[Jim H.]

What does one do with a 1969 aluminum radiator that has holes and corrosion ? Take it to the recycler ? Advertise it in the Driveline ? Toss it in the trash ? Thank you.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

I bring all my large metal car parts (brake discs, wheel hubs, old exhaust) to the local metal scrap place and drop them off. I'd rather do that than see them go into a landfill.

[Harry S.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

I just dropped one off at the town dump. They have a metal re-cycle area.

[Terry M.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

I got $5 USC at the recycler for the aluminum radiator out of one of the Caprices a couple of years ago. I had to strip the plastic end tanks, but that is no big deal. Scrap aluminum is a commodity and the price will fluctuate.

[John D.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

One thing you could do with the original trashed aluminum rad is to put upstairs in a spare bedroom under the bed.
I just can't seem to part with the original 63B Rad from the LWC. It leaked like Niagara Falls in the old days.
Now the car has nice Tom Dewitt Radiator.

[Michael M.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

James you might want to call DeWitt's Radiator to see if they can help you salvage the radiator you have. Maybe they might have other ideas or options for you then just cashing the radiator for scrap metal.

[Dick W.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

James you might want to call DeWitt's Radiator to see if they can help you salvage the radiator you have. Maybe they might have other ideas or options for you then just cashing the radiator for scrap metal.

Those radiators, in the condition that the photo's show, are beyond repair. They were thin when new, and after 40 years you can almost read a newspaper thru most of them. Plus, aluminum as corroded as this is will be impossible to get clean enough to tig weld.

Just a piece of scrap to be recycled

[Jim H.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

Thanks to all of you for your great advice. John, that's where it's been for the last 15 years (just kidding)! I found this radiator in my '67 so I don't have any emotional attachment to it. I have a repro DeWitt now...it's so cool.

[Jim H.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

As to the final Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator, on 7/20/10 I took it to Ben Recycling in Oceanside where they weighed it (13.30 lbs) and paid me $4.65 ! I'm so happy to be rid of one more piece of junk.

[Duke W.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

One thing you could do with the original trashed aluminum rad is to put upstairs in a spare bedroom under the bed.
I just can't seem to part with the original 63B Rad from the LWC. It leaked like Niagara Falls in the old days.
Now the car has nice Tom Dewitt Radiator.

I don't have the heart to get rid of my original 63B 316 radiator either. It's in the back yard next to the wood stack, so I get to see it a lot, especially during winter, and the holes keep getting bigger.

If I make it another couple of decades Mother Nature will likely complete the recyling process.

Duke

[Jimmy G.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

I have several hanging on the outside wall of my garage. Great art objects but at $5 each for scrap I could have enough $$$ to buy lunch one day.

[Richard M.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

About 2 years ago here on this TDB, I asked about repairing my nice looking $90 Daytona Turkey Run flea market find 1962 radiator. After discovering it's multiple pinhole leaks that the radiator shop found when they tested it for me, I should have stopped there. But no, silly me takes it to the local welding shop in Melbourne(FL), and for a mere $50 they say they can fix the leaks. Back to the shop for testing, more leaks than before! Silly me takes it back to the welding shop a 2nd time. They fix it again. Back to the radiator shop, still leaks.

After hearing Tom Dewitt tell me they used a salt bath when these were originally made, and that if they are left in the open air for many years they corrode by themselves, I gave up! Bought a nice new one from him for a mere $875 on sale!

Now I have a $140 garage wall hanging. I refuse to toss it. I also still have the jewelry-like, dated TD radiator because I sold the '62 project. Maybe I should hang that on the wall too!

Rich

[Jack H.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

Come on, Duke... Just think of the BEAUTIFUL beer cans it'll make when properly recycled!

[Nicholas L.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

I sold my leaking top tank radiator on Ebay for $10.00 to some guy in Hawaii. His shipping cost was $40.00. Never asked him what he was going to do with it.

[Duke W.]

Re: Disposition of Damaged Aluminum Radiator

Come on, Duke... Just think of the BEAUTIFUL beer cans it'll make when properly recycled!

The thought of some Bud-swigging moron drinking that watered down swill from my original radiator is very painful.

All my favorite amber and dark ales come in bottles.

Maybe what we should do with our dead OE aluminum radiators is cut off the top plate with the part number and date code to hang in the garage and recycle the rest for the Bud crowd.

Duke