1917 Chalmers 35 radiator

[kiwi carman]

Does anyone have any contacts for a replacement radiator for a 1917 Chalmers 35, my car is an ex musuem car and the honeycomb radiator has completely rusted out and I can't find anyone in New Zealand where I live to repair it at a sensible cost. Thanks for any assistance.

[Dave Gr]

Hello again Kiwi,

Well, you have the usual suspects in New Zealand - Replicore and NZ Radiators - but I guess these two strand on the "sensible cost" factor. There are several honeycomb radiator makers in the UK, but I would think that they are all up there in price too, especially when you think about freight and sales tax. 

 

There is a cheaper alternative. If you want a genuine honeycomb radiator made up of a heap of small tubes, as they were done back then, then you might reject it. I'm talking about Greg Stevens of Fuel Tank and Radiator Service (FTRS) in Toowoomba, Queensland, just over the pond. He makes authentic radiators using strips of copper, as they were made in the 1920's. I have one of his radiators in my 1929 Chevrolet and am very happy with it. It looks 100% honeycomb. He uses pure copper strips and he can repair/rebuild top and bottom tanks using copper too. 

His webpage: http://www.ftrs.com.au/index.php

Videos of the process: 

part 1: 

 

Part 2: 

 

Gallery of some of his radiators: http://www.ftrs.com.au/honey/gallery.php

 

Also attaching a pic of the radiator on my car so you see what it looks like.

 

All the best,

Dave

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by Dave Gr
Attach photo (see edit history)

[roadster]

Still in need of a radiator?

[Dave Gr]

Hello and thanks for the post. That radiator looks identical to the one I have on my 35-D. Mine has been tested and doesn't leak, so I'm fine, thanks. But the original poster might still. 

Dave