E-Bay radiator: would you trust?

So the 9C1 decided that it didn't like its radiator anymore. In my quest to find a cheap replacement, I remembered E-Bay. More that half price of a chain parts store, and most are "top rated sellers."

Would you pull the trigger?

Several of the cars hanging around the shop have CX Racing radiators, which are common on eBay; haven't had any complaints about that brand.

What about having a radiator shop rebuild it? I've heard its usually cheaper and then you'll know it'll fit right and the hoses are stock.

I scored a brandy spankin new radiator for the corolla for $45 shipped on fleabeay. It was still going strong 4 years later when I retired her for fuel problems. I was happy with it.

I have an aluminum eBay rad on my corolla that's about 2 years old, no problems or complaints this far.

RossD wrote: What about having a radiator shop rebuild it? I've heard its usually cheaper

It has never been any cheaper anywhere I have tried. It is usually priced high enough to make me think that they just don't want to do it.

I was quoted $350-400 to recore a 18"X14" fiat radiator at 2 different shops.

We buy name brand radiators from name brand suppliers and have them last less than a year too often.

So it sounds like the few stories of Ebay is that they sell better crap than the crap we buy at our shop.

I run a E-bay aluminum radiator in the Abomination. No problems so far, and the build quality seems to be pretty good. Probably won't be the last one I buy.

ditchdigger wrote:

RossD wrote: What about having a radiator shop rebuild it? I've heard its usually cheaper

It has never been any cheaper anywhere I have tried. It is usually priced high enough to make me think that they just don't want to do it. I was quoted $350-400 to recore a 18"X14" fiat radiator at 2 different shops.

that fiat radiator is NOT aluminum. It is solid copper

I have purchased two aluminum radiators from ebay over the last three years for different cars. Both have performed flawlessly.

I have a aluminum radiator in my car since 05 no problems

Thank you, gents. I have my answer

Just becareful with storing it. I used mine for about a year, parted out the car, and a few months later i went to use it again, and it leaked out of the bottom of the fins, where scale and buildup sat and corroded it.

This was my old CX racing rad. i ended up scrapping it. Id imagine if it had been stored clean, or never not used, it'd be good.

~Alex

I have an FB and the only radiator available right now is some Chinese crap on eBay. (Spectra Power is undergoing an acquisition and their radiators aren't available unless you want to spend $250 from Summit)

It bolted in and worked, but the lower radiator hose fitting was nowhere near right, even worse than the SPI radiators are. SPI rotates them over one way, the Chinese radiator sticks it way the wrong way and at the wrong angle. I sliced up a ZX2 lower radiator hose, stuck a spring into it, and it fit perfectly.