Major Surgery Round 2

Stella went under the knife for the second time this summer to have the radiator replaced.  At first we had intentions of doing it ourselves over the winter, but various circumstances convinced us to take care of it sooner. After doing some research, our options included:

• Using a radiator sealant (temporary)
• Having the old radiator re-cored 
• Buying and installing a new radiator (plastic, metal or aluminum) 

Using a temporary radiator leak sealant was the quickest and cheapest option.  You can buy this stuff at any AutoZone or auto parts store and all you have to do is dump it into the radiator and drive your car around for a half an hour. We entertained this idea very briefly, mostly during the period of time when we were considering removing the radiator over the winter, as a kind of "get us to winter" fix.  After all, we have a mere handful of weeks before Stella has to go into long term storage for Michigan's 5 to 6 month snowy season.

Having the radiator re-cored was an attractive option and a way to keep the radiator original, but it was more expensive and more complicated.  It would involve having a mechanic remove the radiator, towing the Vette to some other location while the radiator was re-cored (because the re-core and the radiator removal wouldn't be able to be done by the same mechanics), then towing the Vette back to the mechanic to have them re-install the newly re-cored radiator.  So, we'd be paying for the labor hours, paying for the re-core, and paying for the towing fees.  Not to mention, I have no idea were I would be storing it in the interim. 

The last option was to buckle down and buy a new radiator designed to fit our make and model, which was eventually what we chose to do.  We didn't want to go with the cheapest choice, which was plastic, and couldn't quite afford the aluminum radiator.  We wanted to--aluminum radiators are most effective at keeping the engine cool and as I've discussed previously, old Corvettes run hot--but much like with the engine replacement, we simply couldn't  go above and beyond.  The original radiator was made out of metal and lasted 35 years--so hopefully I'll get at least half of that time from this metal reproduction!

We tried a new mechanic this time and so far we've been pleased (although I have yet to get the car back, so we'll see how I feel later today when I do! ;) ).  The work was supposed to take two days, and the morning of the first day I got a call saying that they've run into "all sorts of problems."  Apparently to remove the radiator will require removing parts of the engine (which were getting in the way) and parts of the front wheel suspension system (which needed repairing).  

Basically, this mechanic told me what I already know (and love despite myself) about this car--everything that Mike and I haven't replaced already needs to be replaced.  Luckily, those things are getting fewer and fewer as we go. ;)

We gave the (slightly reluctant) go ahead and we'll be picking her up today.  With only a scant few weeks before it snows, I'll be enjoying that car as much as possible before her long winter's nap. :)