radiator recore recommendation needed

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John Vardanian
Posts: 1906
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

Mine is a vertical mount with knurled edge, right below the steering column.

john

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PF Coupe
250GT
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:41 am
Location: germany/holland

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by 250GT »

DWR46 wrote:The louvers were thermostat controlled, while the shade was manual. If your radiator has a provision in the top front for a thermostat and control arm, you had louvers.
Yep, here some pics as always.
most of us never have seen those.
were used on Ferrari´s from 1954-1958 Europa Boano Ellena etc
even the very early PF serie 1 has these.
works great I drive with such a construction
louvre system was also produced by FIM.
C.
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Yale
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 4:56 pm
Location: New York City

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by Yale »

I have a wheel, I assume for a blind, under the steering wheel of my 330GT. I'm surprised this era car also came with that. Does anyone know any other 330's that have this? (Or do I get to say "only 330GT with radiator blind wheel!") Hah.
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
1963 Abarth Monomille
1970 Porsche 911S
1974 BMW 2002turbo
enio45
Posts: 826
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:56 pm
Location: Gilbert, AZ

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by enio45 »

john, i don't think I've seen that anywhere....got a pic of what that all looks like?
Ed Montini
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
John Vardanian
Posts: 1906
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

Hi Ed, here's another picture i happened to have. If you like better ones PM me with your email and I'll send you close-ups. Thanks.

john

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PF Coupe
enio45
Posts: 826
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:56 pm
Location: Gilbert, AZ

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by enio45 »

Thank you john for the great pics....never seen that before on these cars - but again, never had one with the rad louvers/blind.

Im doing more research on the blind vs louver as to the correct application for the car.....need to get more info and answers.

Interesting thing regarding the rad - I found out that the orig manufacture for the radiators FIM has gone out of business in 2013.

GTO engineering from UK has acquired all the orig molds and stamps for the FIM radiators. They will can produce vintage
radiators for a price.
Ed Montini
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
zac
Posts: 330
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2002 1:01 pm
Location: San Diego North County

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by zac »

Down here in Southern California most of use Santa Monica radiator, they do a great job and have a straight fin core very similar to the original. Nothing is exact unless you build the core from scratch and have access to the original metric sized tubing etc. The modern equivalent works better/more efficient, there are on a ton of Pebble winning cars so obviously it passes inspections from the guys with the blue blazers and straw hats.

Zac
1970 365 gt 2+2 13137, 1997 550 Maranello, 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona
John Vardanian
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Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

Zac has a good point. Cooling of the earlier Colombo engines is only just adequate, especially after the oil cooler is deleted. Significant improvement comes with the 128F motor where the radiator becomes much wider. So, with our old motors a small compromise in appearance is worth the substantial gain in cooling.

john
PF Coupe
enio45
Posts: 826
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 6:56 pm
Location: Gilbert, AZ

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by enio45 »

John/Zac - thanks a lot for the advise and info -

Conclusion to date is the 58 Ellena would have the louver system. I understand difficult to find used, so I believe we will end up making one IF we can find one to use as a sample. In that event we will make at least 2.

Ref the core - i believe i found a used radiator for the car - it will need taken apart and recored which is not an issue. ZAC, should i be able to just buy the core from your guy at SM Radiator and have my local shop do the install of it when i have all the radiator parts restored? ??

Or should any rad shop know which one to get?

Appreciate the advise
Ed Montini
330 GT 2+2 Series II - 8289
58 Ellena - 0855GT - orig drivetrain
87 El Camino SS
John Vardanian
Posts: 1906
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

Hi Ed, the rad shop you choose must have some experience or at least interest in specialty work. Mine works on ordinary cars, but they have a little room in the back where they keep the special work and by special I don't mean Ferrari. Ferrari radiators are nothing special compared to what came with some of the prewar European cars.

john
PF Coupe
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T308
Posts: 268
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 5:12 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by T308 »

We had an Ellena (0807GT) in the shop for a while and if memory serves it had the Venetian blind style blocking out the lower 3/4 of the radiator.
1962 250 GT/E 3921, 1978 308 GTS 26845
John Vardanian
Posts: 1906
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

0807GT does not have a winder under the dash today, so most likely it had a louvre.

john
PF Coupe
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T308
Posts: 268
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 5:12 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by T308 »

John Vardanian wrote:0807GT does not have a winder under the dash today, so most likely it had a louvre.

john
That's what I meant, a slat style activated by the t-stat. No wheel.
1962 250 GT/E 3921, 1978 308 GTS 26845
250GT
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:41 am
Location: germany/holland

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by 250GT »

John lokking at the under dash picture above shows me you preowned of the car must be an master on the lathe once .
This Rokko style suits Vingale ,but not Pininfarina both knobs are self made as you probably will know .
but you hunger to get very thing original THIS will not spoil you're sunday afternoon.
see below for the right stuff.
The radiator winding wheel does have fingergrips.
the knob for the bonnet releave can be found easily they were use almost 40 years without design changes.
till the 400i and 412, that must be the very late 80th ??
I am only in the picture till 1963.
as always some proves/ fact.

C.

"its only a nice hobby here"
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John Vardanian
Posts: 1906
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:13 am
Location: San Francisco Area

Re: radiator recore recommendation needed

Post by John Vardanian »

Hi Cornelis, my bonnet pull knob is made of SS and I rather like it. I keep it there even though I got an original spare many years ago for few bucks. But I do believe you are right about the rad knob, as another PF coupe owner has attested to having a knob exactly like mine. Maybe both were homemade but that would be a long shot.

john
PF Coupe
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