~$100, 38mm Aluminum NA Radiator
 

Does this exist anymore? Are all the Chinese rads 55mm? 55mm is not desired in this application due to weight.

What's the application?

Exocet
Shooting for 1400lbs

The chinese 55mm stuff doesn't cool much better than a 37mm Koyo. I doubt a 38mm Chinabay core would do much more than stock. Probably why you don't see it. I assume it's naturally aspirated?

Yes, N/A, probably 125-130 whp on pump gas, a little more on E85. I would rather wait on Emilio's super secret squirrel crossflow than put the same money in a Koyo.

Put in an OEM one. It should cool that more than well enough, if you have decent air control (ducting and venting and such) and its the lightest option.

My old Chinabay 55mm didn't weigh more than 1lb more than the 37mm Koyo. Just as a data point.

what about just this?

cxracing.com: Aluminum Radiator For 90-97 Mazda Miata Manual;Core Size: 25"x13"x2",1.25" Inlet & Outlet

50mm for $150.


or get Lars to pull the rad out of my car and swap him a stocker plus a few $$. Mine was an old 50mm CSP rad.

55mm core size should also add 5 lbs of mass in water.

I'm buying a new rad one way or the other, was just hoping to get one with aluminum tanks. However that may be my best option if an inexpensive, OE-sized aluminum unit does not exist.

Meh. Details. :facepalm:

Honestly, the OEM plastic tank will last another 20 years. I'm seeing the average life of china rads (on forums) before they pop a pinhole to be like 3-5.

This is very true.... Already replaced 2 Godspeed Rads over the 6 years that ive owned my car. (only because it had one on it to begin with, dont have a stock to slap on there)

yeah not seeing any all-aluminum 1-row rads. There used to be one, I remember when i bought my 2" core there was the option to buy the single-row replacement one. But that was back in like 2003 and the company, coolradiators.com, no longer exists.

The price on the plastic/alumin 1-row is so good, might as well just get one, if what you want is the lightest/smallest one you can fit; plenty for under $100 shipped on ebay.

CSF/coolradiators.com had the 1" on their site when I tried to buy one in ~2007, but they shipped me the 2" instead because the 1" was NLA.

So be it. Thanks all.

Slight twist of the topic:
Any idea on why? Crappy fins. Worthless soft alloy. ???

I'm looking at replacing my 38(ish) PWR with half width EG Civic model. Gotta get rid of weight on the front of the XP car somehow. I currently have a cheap ebay one that I'll use for test fitment but I want to spring for something better.

I know the PWR fins are much more substantial, as in you can actually touch them without bending them. The fins on the cheap one bend if you look at them funny.

the density of the fins is just not there. they are cheaply made and not with efficiency in mind. where good manufacturers will design the fins

I think it was Corky Bell that said they had a customer car with an intercooler from ebay that had no fins at all, inside the core.

While I haven't personally dealt with cheap radiators, im sure the same holds true with them as it does with intercooler cores.

Consider this chinese core:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403008378

the fins are loosely folded/packed, and it appears there are holes drilled in them throughout.

compared to this core:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403008378

the fins are densely packed.

Good cores will have fins that have louvers cut in them that increase the cooling effectiveness:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403008378


here's a KOYO radiator core cut open, you can see the dense louvers:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1403008378

This ebay rad doesn't appear to have that sort of goodness:

http://www.dtmmotors.com/ebay/jpg/Ra.../6-RA-MM98.jpg


not to mention even how cheap and fragile the ebay cores are in comparison to a Percision or Bell core. Night and Day.

Ben, why not a cheap COPPER radiator? I'm assuming copper is heavier, but by how much? it would be more effiective though, no?

Edit: I have read this but never weighed it myself.

The manual transmission OEM radiator is lighter/lower coolant volume than the automatic version. All of the ~$100 OEM replacements you can find are of the automatic radiator so if you are really trying to lose weight get a manual transmission version from mazdaspeed.

I am also super curious to see the final weight of your naturally aspirated exocet. I did napkin math a while back and it seemed like you be able to get one just under 1400lb with some effort. (aluminum shocks, kirkey seats, 2lb battery...)