This month's YBM cover photo has me wondering. Original plan was to paint my new alum. radiator black (OEM look, better heat dissipation), but since the top tank IS polished, and my car IS a driver with other obvious service upgrades (not a concours trailer queen), and the special thin Eastwood radiator paint I have on hand will likely flake/peel off eventually anyway (from vigorous bug cleaning, etc.) and need frequent touch-ups, I'm having second thoughts. Opinions?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Daniel Y-Guy:    I think you answered your own question...Leave it alone, and

                 if someone says something negative about it, tell'um it was a special

                 order option that year!!!   That's why we live in America, freedom

                 of choice.(at least for now!)

                                                    Bill

Bill

Pelham,Al

Don't paint it! Paint is an insulator so radiator will cool better without paint.

Ol'ford nutCentral Iowa

56 Vic w/292 & 4 spd.

Besides all that, paint stinks when it gets hot.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

Daniel;

I have an aluminum radiator too (Ron Davis Racing) that has a polished top tank. I would not paint it. I have used "Zoops Seal" on some of my other polished aluminum parts which protects the shine so you don't have to keep polishing, but I haven't tried it on the top tank yet.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Contrary to what everyone else says, I painted mine! Thin coat on the fins but a nice smooth black on the tank. No heat issues.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

After years of overheating (but never actually boiling) and a "desert cooler radiator" I'd about given up. I think tath air flow restrictions between the headers, blower and p/s make it worse. You think that alum. units work better?



Miker

'55 bird

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

What kind of paint on the top-tank? Any primer or surface prep?



RE: "paint is an insulator". If so, then while alum. radiators in modern cars are indeed not painted, I wonder why older brass models were always painted black? Maybe todays alum. block & heads reduces the importance of radiator efficiency?





P.S. Excuse my ignorance (never cared to learn anything about automatics), but I assume the trans. loop included in most universal model repro radiators is separate/isolated? If so, then any reason to plug it? Or, am I wrong and hot engine coolant IS actually circulated through 56-up Fordomatics?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Hi to All,  The special radiator paint as used by radiator shops dissipates heat and I think it is the only paint you should use on a radiator.  Daniel mentions getting it from Eastwood, there are probably other sources also.  Personally I like the looks of the plain aluminum, since you asked for opinions.  You don't have to plug the trans cooling connections if you are using a manual transmission, however if the little cooler in the bottom of the radiator got cracked then you would lose coolant from the engine out the two fittings that are intended for tranny fluid.  Hope this makes sense, Nick Brann - K.C., MO

I think you may need a self etching primer on bare aluminium.

Richard