054 new radiators on e bay ?

[fasteddie5250]

item number 320089642923  what is this

[Ghoste]

Is it just me or is 1200 dollars for a reproduction radiator, 054 or not, just a huge butt load of money?

Full link.    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2F320089642923_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8QQsubmitsearchZSearchQQfviZ1&item=320089642923

[The70RT]

Did I miss something in the auction or did he state what kind of lube he was using? They are out of there fricking mind!

[Ghoste]

I haven't followed rad auctions either and I know the 054 is a desirable one but 1200 bucks?  For a repro?  What would an NOS one be worth, 2500-2800?  What are used ones going for?

[Chad L. Magee]

In a recent Mopar Collector's Guide magazine, they mentioned that the new repoped hemi radiators will be priced in the $600 range.  Looks like someone bought one and tried to cash in on the people who did not read the article, or the price was not $600 from the start.....

[Ghoste]

I did a real quickie search to see what used ones were going for and all I turned up were a couple of very old ads with a range from 800 to 1500 dollars.  That's insane.  The 1500 one needed to be recored.

[The70RT]

I don't understand the prices. Why is one more than another? Some of these truck radiators  are $4-500 but those things are huge and take 2-3 times the material.......go figure? I guess they want to gouge the car guy.

[Ghoste]

I spotted the ads in an A12 forum and I know there is a big push on with those guys to make their cars perfect.  Which I understand and if none are available and someone will pay it, then I also understand that.  But I still don't get the 1200 repop and to be fair I don't know if that's an e-bay flipper or the guy repopping them who has it listed.  I do recall now the MCG blurb about them but he could have changed his mind and doubled his price.  Who knows?  I honestly just can't imagine paying those prices for parts but maybe if I had a Bill Wiemann or Tim Welborn budget?

[Charger_Fan]

But, but...what about the freebies...?

Freebies!

Extra goodies provided with every purchase at no additional cost!

Date coding
Radiator cap
Overflow hose
Mounting Hardware
Your choice of a standard factory 3 core, or a heavy duty 4 core unit

That reminds me of a radio ad I heard recently for new houses... "we're giving away a free Lexus with each new house purchased". What the hell, are there really that many stupid putzes in the world?

[Troy]

I recall seeing some repro radiators at Carlisle last year priced around $1,200 and people were giving the guy a hard time. I have no idea what numbers they had on them. You have to figure that Mopar gets 10% (I believe) just for allowing the part number and logos. There's the #1 reason why I don't make parts - everyone complains that the parts are impossible to find but when you spend your time, money, and energy to make an *exact* replica they do nothing but complain and ridicule. The radiator for my 1984 Suburban cost me close to $400 and I bet they made a million or more of them. Costs grow exponentially for low production items and an "054" radiator would certainly qualify in that respect. Remember that the guy making them needs to get a good return as quickly as possible because all of his costs are up front. I do believe that NOS ones are in the $2,500+ range but there's probably only 3 left in the world.

FYI - I don't need a radiator bad enough to pay $1,200 just to be "correct". Thank goodness!

Troy

[694spdRT]

I have seen beaten 054 tanks that needed recores for $800 so I don't know what is really worse. The recore on my 054 was around $300 and I considered that a very good price as my other qoute was $450.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

To put this in perspective, so far I'm into my "correct" 055 radiator for $675, not including a new shroud & rad cap

I got a really good deal on the rad itself ($150) but its costing me $525 to recore it.   Im getting a 3 row core installed with the larger 1/2" tubes spaced 3/8" apart....high efficency.
It cost a bit more on the labor end as well duw to the fact that the 055 rad is originally a 2 core & the lower tank has to be "stretched"

Do I think $1200 is a lot for a repro.....yes & no.....good 055, 054 & 956 cores are getting scarcer (the 956's go for over 1k needing a recore!)

Supply & demand....

[Ghoste]

I guess.  Still blows my mind.

[gtx6970]

I guess its a damn if you do and a damn if you don't kinda world.

licensing issues alone are 10% , plus an upfront licensing agreement surchage of approx $2500
This you pay before you make the first  part. They are made in the USA, by a mopar oriented company.

btw , suggested retail is $1195 and am considering become a dealer for the company. They are dead on an original, as well as date coded to the intended car.

[69_500]

See here is the problem i see with this whole thing. I don't mind them reproducing a radiator, but they shouldn't be able to stamp a date code, or the 054 on it. Just my thoughts. 20 years from now someone is going to selling these repro's as NOS parts or the like.

[The70RT]

See here is the problem i see with this whole thing. I don't mind them reproducing a radiator, but they shouldn't be able to stamp a date code, or the 054 on it. Just my thoughts. 20 years from now someone is going to selling these repro's as NOS parts or the like.

Exactly. If the radiator discourages a buyer for the car then I guess thety don't want the car. I will be dead when my car goes on the market anyway.

I got an 059......any idea from what this is from? Thanks

[Ghoste]

B-boy 318 with air conditioning.

[The70RT]

B-boy 318 with air conditioning.

Thanks buddy......probably be ebaying it. It was doing ok with my 440. I need a fresh one anyway.

[Ghoste]

It's still a 26 incher, that's a lot of surface area.

[TripleBlackGator]

Expensive but they do look damn nice and correct though.

[UFO]

Heres the ad in MCG.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Bob over @ Glenn-Ray was very influential in my choice of core size for my 055.  Nice guy & knew his stuff

[John_Kunkel]

I remember a lot of talk a few years back about the insanity of $900 for just the used top tanks by themselves, that makes $1200 for a complete new unit seem tame by comparision.

[hemigeno]

Bob over @ Glenn-Ray was very influential in my choice of core size for my 055.  Nice guy & knew his stuff

I've traded emails with Bob - he most definitely knows his stuff, right down to what dates they changed stamping styles during the '69 model year, which varies depending on whether you have an 055 or 054 radiator.  He also knows which side of the flange they stamped the date code on (which also varies as well).  The guy knows his stuff, and has put an awful lot of time/effort/$$ into this venture.  My guess is that all the licensing, research and tooling costs they've had to buck up for will make this a break-even prospect unless they really sell a bunch of them.  That probably won't happen when some (not all) Mopar guys won't buy the part unless it costs less than what they can get one for at AutoZone...   

[MOPARHOUND!]

I visited with the guy 3 or 4 years ago when he was just starting.  It took some time to get the tooling for the fonts right.  Then it took a long time to get the brackets manufactured correctly, causing him for a while to re-use restored factory original bracketry.  So he did shell out some dollars, and took some risk doing this radiator deal.

I was thinking some of the radiators were going to be $900 (054s), and others $1200 (956s, 959s), but guess not.

In a way, it's like your buying a fake or clone of a real part. 

But, it is a Mopar authorized part.  Worth the money to some people I guess, as on the open market people have been paying big bucks for the numbers they are after.  In the end it's just some numbers stamped on piece of metal.

While on the radiator subject......

Got to the local parts store and try to buy a 26" radiator for your Charger.  Modine quit stocking their good 26" radiator #374 for $325, which had some semblance to the mopar factory radiator.  Just hung up with the guy at Napa, and he says he can "special order" it for $435 + freight + taxes.

The guy at Glen Rey at one time said a blank (no numbers) version of the factory radiator was being considered, with a $500 price tag being kicked around.