Radiator blues!

Radiator blues!

Author
Discussion

gadgit

Original Poster:

971 posts

274 months

Wednesday 10th July 2002
quotequote all
Cars coming on ok. Starting to get it back together. Are! must put the rad back on now. Picked it up and thousands of flakes of rad cooling fins fall off. This means a new rad! Apparently (and take note) if you lay the car up for some months with various spills of antifreeze and other fluids on the fins the radiator will rot!

So before I go on, have you thoroughly washed your layed up rad, if not do it now. The fins are copper and react to the small amount of acids that exist in most fuids today if its not being used. With regular use the rad will keep itself clean but as soon as it come to a grinding hault, trouble.

My next step, to check which one it is. Don't bother, its far cheaper to have it rebuilt by Serks or other rad specialists. New rad is over £200 + vat, £170 plus vat at staff rate! Christ! Rebuild= £146 inc vat, well that's what the bloke said, i've yet to be rung and told its ready so it might go up a tad.

Keep blasting!

gadgit.

Paceracing

729 posts

273 months

Wednesday 10th July 2002
quotequote all
Gadgit,

Who is doing your rad, and are they re-coring it?
(I need to get mine done).

Jas.

johno

8,521 posts

289 months

Wednesday 10th July 2002
quotequote all
Serck Marstons do them. Tower View do an exchange system which I have used and its only slightly dearer, I mean a tenner or so I think. Save all the hastle of going to Serck's etc.

Cheers

Mark

Paul V

4,489 posts

284 months

Wednesday 10th July 2002
quotequote all
There is a company just around the corner from Dartford Rebore who did my Radiator, they also fitted a bigger bore to it, cost was £130 Inc VAT

Paceracing

729 posts

273 months

Wednesday 10th July 2002
quotequote all
Can you remember who?

Jas.

Paul V

4,489 posts

284 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
quotequote all
D V R (Kent) Ltd
Unit 14, Victoria Industrial Park Victoria Rd
Dartford Kent DA1 5AJ
Tel: 01322 291177

If you use them make sure you let them know you use the captive nuts to secure the fan as mine had little plates over them when it came back.

LeeBee

773 posts

291 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
quotequote all
I am picking my rad up this afternoon after the damn thing sprung a leak the other day, it needed a recore and I have been quoted £140 plus vat from Sercks

Cheers

LeeBee

mhibbins

14,055 posts

286 months

Thursday 11th July 2002
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I used them about 6 months ago (Reading branch of sercks) and they did a top job and the rad is still good.

Mark

gadgit

Original Poster:

971 posts

274 months

Friday 12th July 2002
quotequote all
Got the rad back from Serck Intertruck in Cambridge today. Can't believe what a brilliant job they did on it, its like new. Bloke in there made me wait a week to get it, and said he would make it worth it, and it was. Complete with uprated core, £108.30 inc vat.
Now I can get back on with the car.

all the best,

Gadgit.

LeeBee

773 posts

291 months

Friday 12th July 2002
quotequote all
So how come the same job in Oxford from the same company costs £164.50?, ok it took them 1.5 days to complete but!

Cheers

LeeBee

gadgit

Original Poster:

971 posts

274 months

Saturday 13th July 2002
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Well I told the bloke that I was destitute and didn't mind waiting, but this of course was going to be of a great inconvenience to me. Dress rough when you go, try and look like a down and out, park your bmw round the corner and walk in telling the bloke you just walked from the other side of town as you could not afford the bus fare. If possible take all the kids from the local creche and tell him there all yours!
And as a final moment comes to pay, accidently get you pension book out, and of course pay in cash, nod,nod,wink wink, slide the money out of you back pocket slowly, sure to get another fiver off.

I thought you blokes down in London area new all this lot!

But, of course, if you live in posh old oxford, no chance!

good luck.

gadgit.

rrouse

2,894 posts

275 months

Monday 29th July 2002
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Apparently (so I've been told) the S3 rad is a DAF part. If that's true it's a bit late for you guys, but someone else may find the info useful (if it's true - disclaimer etc.).

Richard