MTFCA Forum

Why is a radiator for an old Ford tractor 150.00 and a t radiator 900

THe chinese make the ford tractor radiator

Cost of the materials, labor, and overhead for the quantity made and sold.

Dear Humblej: are you assuming domestic brass radiators are superior quality--like Brass Works?

Ditto to Steve’s comments.

And...I also bought a new Berg’s unit fit my black car. It’s been nice to be able to drive my car in all weather having total confidence in it.

oops. Hit a wrong button...

I can't give a comparison between Brassworks and Bergs, but I bought a flat tube Bergs for my 1917 and so far so good. The car runs cool, never getting near to overheating, even on Indiana's covered bridge tour with daytime temps in the 90's. I have a Motometer Junior and the thermometer never rose into the circle.

A friend took delivery of my radiator at Hershey 2018 so I saved on shipping. Otherwise, one factor to consider is whether you live closest to the right or left coast.

I was curious about the construction of a Berg radiator, so I looked at the Berg's site and Brassworks site and found a surprise!

For a flat tube 1917-1923 "low" radiator...

$875 Berg's http://www.bergsradiator.com/modelt.html
$825 Brassworks http://www.thebrassworks.net/shop/Repro ... _info.html

Yep, you read that correctly. The Berg radiator is more expensive than Brassworks radiator. The only "bargain" (aka cheaper) radiator that Berg's has is the 1917-1923 round tube radiator. At $900, it is $25 less than Brassworks.

There was a time that the Berg radiator was the "economy" version. You paid less for a product that was not an "authentic" reproduction. The construction of the Berg core is nothing like an original Model T core and visually there is a significant difference.

If you go the re-core route to "preserve the original appearance" you are going to have to get the core from Brassworks. Brassworks does not have a price list for a core only, so you would have to e-mail them for a quote. Then you would have to find a competent radiator shop that willing and able to work with your old brass.

I'm not in the market for one, and don't have a dog in the fight, but just wanted to share the facts I found online.

: ^ )

Keith

If you go the re-core route to "preserve the original appearance" you are going to have to get the core from Brassworks.

I didn't ask where my core came from, so that may be true. Or maybe it's true for round tubes. My car being strictly for go and not for show, I went with flat tubes. So it looks pretty much original until you get close enough to see what kind of tubes it has in it. In any case, the recore saved me a few Benjamins. The shop that did Rob's Model K did it for me.

I purchased A Brassworks radiator for my 1923 touring car 19 years ago and it has been trouble free !

I bought a new Bergs radiator for my 24 Coupe after trying to repair or buy good looking originals that didn’t cool. It’s a good feeling to know you wont have a boil over when driving your car. Bergs black radiators are really similar to the Wards radiators that were popular in the T era and after.
Flat tube radiators are the way to go if you want to really drive your T and not worrying about authenticity at a car show. The average folks who are watching you in a parade or seeing T’s go by wouldn’t know the difference in a flat or round tube radiator and could care less.

I bought a new Berg low radiator for my ‘23 runabout in 2017. Unfortunately it didn’t fit the original radiator shell correctly around the filler neck. So, I sent it back. When it arrived again it was spot on .. but got damaged in shipping separating where the inlet casting is riveted. Bergs paid for the local shop to solder the slight gap. Been driving around 100 miles a week in the non salt weather here in Rochester with no problems.

I did have one glitch. I had wired a vintage Rochester Auto Club badge in the lower front and after about three years I saw some seepage on the bottom tank. I removed the badge and poured some stop leak and haven’t had any more problems. A great radiator.

If you are concerned about $50 on an $850 radiator, you have a problem.

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:14 pm

If you are concerned about $50 on an $850 radiator, you have a problem.

And that's why I hardly come here anymore...

If a extra 50 bucks is not a problem for you ,you are a blessed man.
No real reason for a T radiator to be that much higher than a tractor or other car radiator.