I finally ordered a Be Cool radiator yesterday from the company direct. This in part because the majority of the Be Cool radiators being sold by the aftermarket vendors have the additional 1/2" inlet that is under the filler neck.
My car has no use for this and I didn't want to cap it off like most people do. The nice people at Be Cool told me the will go ahead and custom make me my radiator without that inlet. I didn't order the polished version only because you really can't see it on a third gen anyway.

So the fun part begins to totally flush out the cooling system before installing the new Be Cool radiator. I'm not going to miss my old custom copper and brass radiator which never was right from the start. I'll takes pics and post when it arrives.

 

Hopefully it goes in w/out modding required, mine didn't.Do post up.

 

If the new radiator is as big as the current one I have in, it shouldn't be an issue. The radiator that is in now, is wider than the factory plastic tank unit. What modifications did you have to do?

 

BeCool is maybe a little thicker than, say a champion rad.Mine had the top/bottom mounts that fit into the rubber isolators welded to far forward.Shroud would not fit back on.Rad contacted the condenser at the lower isolator/mounts.

 

I'm not familiar with Champion radiators. The copper brass one in the car is from U.S. Radiator that I got back in the mid 90's. The only fitment issues I always had with it was the upper plastic radiator cover not fitting right due to the width.

 

Same thing with champion & beCool, too thick.

 

I ran a Be Cool a few years back on my last car (87 GTA) and had to have the shop fab up an upper radiator cover and something else also I do remember the factory one being a no-go. I can tell you it sure was a big improvement going to that radiator and 160 thermostat in this 100degree south Ms heat. Car ran cool in traffic.

 

I have a question. Have you ever wire cleaned, primer, and spray paint some sort of a rust inhibitor paint when you installed your new radiator? I'm going to do it just for the sake of age of the vehicle and to be safe side.

 

You could mess up the fins cleaning it with a wire, plus its aluminum.It wont rust, just get dull.
Personally, I think aluminum will cool better without any coating/s over it.Just a theory though.

 

I screwed up and wasn't clear on my post. I meant the portion of the car where the radiator sits and not the actual radiator.

 

Then yes, ive done that.Treated & painted the lower support mostly.

 

I haven't had my radiator out. But if I did, and that area needed to be addressed (cleaned, rust removed, sealed and painted), I'd sure take advantage of the opportunity.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

 

I was thrilled to get the radiator delivered today. But...they made it for a manual transmission car and I told them it was for an automatic. So I have to send it back. Btw, are the water inlet and outlet supposed to be that small? and are the two welded on aluminum brackets on either side of the top of the radiator where the rubber support sit on top when you install the upper radiator support?

 

Yes, on both alum radiators, they looked smaller.Maybe the plastic is thicker.
Are you saying the brackets are small too?

 

Here are the pics that I took of the radiator before putting it back into its packaging. I called Be Cool but the guy that took my order went to a trade show so they messaged him. I'm sure he'll get back to me next week.

 

That's how my brackets were welded.Made lining up the shroud/isolators impossible.They are too far back (towards eng).I had to put them directly over the rad to get the rubber isolators to just fit on them.

 

I wonder why they don't just make the radiator taller as it should be instead of welding those brackets on top.

 

Probably cause its thicker...my only guess.