What is considered to be the best alloy rad?
I am swooping over to a side mounted version and there is a bewildering variety out there.
Is going for more "core" for my dollar the way to go ?
Apart from the width does it make much difference?
My only want is that it comes with a drain tap

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'98 Mpi Sportspack + 7 port alloy head

A name brand one, or one made in aus will be expensive but your best bet. If you're looking at the chinese ones on ebay, go for a 2 core 50mm one. Try get one marketed for the 94 onwards models.

If it's for the car in your sig I think the 50mm one's are a bit tight in a roundie.

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http://www.mini-hb.co.nz

How about this one ?


http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OPL-2-ROW-Fu ... 19eb21818c

Forgot that I'll want to run a thermo fan.
Rad needs to have some mounting points

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'98 Mpi Sportspack + 7 port alloy head

Costs more for shipping than the radiator!

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I was told to day that these alloy rads get pin holes after 3 months and now this place no longer sells them

Yeah. I have a neglected 34 year old Porsche that is still on it's original alloy radiator.
Rubbish!

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Too many cars, and too little time.

My brother runs a alloy one in his roundy has done for years still working ok and it's a 50 mm one had to bend shroud down a tiny bit and it fits in

only saying what I was told

I have one me self brought in 09 no problems with it brought from the place who told me as well

I have one of these and it is great.
http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... 0to%20shop

C-ARA4441
ALUMINUM 2 CORE RADIATOR PRE 1990



Side mounted as per all pre 1996 cars. UK made

This is a super cool lightweight alloy radiator BUT FOR PRE 1990 cars as it has the overflow pipe facing backwards.

For 1990 on cars with a 1275 engine use C-ARA4441A which has the overflow pipe

facing forward for the expansion tanks, which were fitted as standard. Accepts C-ARA4445 fan switch if needed. Made by Radtec in the UK.
£198.20 exc vat

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

German Made Radiator, One would Hope it would be by far a better made product
and less likely to have the problems that some of the cheaply made Chinees alloy radiators
I am guilty of not stocking them at present because 30% of the ones I sold
had problems, To my mind that is too high.
If I could be sure that I could buy alloy Radiators that would not develop
problems after a couple of months of service, I would stock them again.
as I found them to work very well, if they did not develop leaks after a short period of service
at this point I will still try to source alloy radiators that I have confidence in
until then I will not take the risk of people thinking that I knowingly sold them a substandard
product
And like it or not some people think if You sell them a part that develops a problem
You knew it was going to happen

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

The point I was trying to make is anyone can purchase a part in good faith
and then sell it in good faith, the whole time believing that nothing is wrong
with the item, But if a problem develops some people feel that it was sold to them
knowing it would fail.
I Know that I do not sell any part that I KNOW is going to fail, and I feel fairly confident
that most people selling Mini parts, in this country do not sell parts they know are going to fail.
In the case of the alloy radiators I had previously purchased I did not know they were going to
fail, but when I started to get a few back I removed them from sale and sent what I had left
to the SCRAPMETAL yard
I am not saying that all alloy radiators from China are no good, I am saying that at this stage
I do not know what company to buy them from and have complete confidence when selling them

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

I would hope any retailer would know the quality of the product that they sell and stand behind the quality of said product. It's their responsibility. Oh well at least that's what the law says.

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The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

I am Sure the law says that a retailer or wholesaler should stand behind the product he sells,
And that is the way it should be, And the way I have always operated.
I am not sure how you expect everyone to know the quality of every part they buy,
If they buy it in good faith they are of the opinion that it is of good quality,
that does not always mean that what is then supplied to him is of the quality expected.
However if he then finds that the parts he purchased are not as he thought
I would think the correct thing to do would be to withdraw them from the market
as I did with the alloy Radiators

You may know how to check the quality of every part and know in advance if it is going to fail.
And if You do, More power to You Because not all of us have this unique ability
I am sure the new car Makers would love to have that ability,
just imagine the money they would save on warranties

Recently Dr Mini mentioned that a respected Mini supplier Purchased a part that
he was told was the correct thing for the Job, When Kev checked it with specialised
equipment they were found wanting, to the surprise of the Respected Parts supplier.

Are You are suggesting that I am operating without concern for the public or the law?

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" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"