> The car is running a bit hot...and I suspect its the radiator. Currently a
> Mazda 13b resides in the engine bay...so I am not really concerned about
> keeping the stock look...and a new Del Sol radiator seems to cost just about
> the same as having the roadsters roded...just want too see if its a drop in
> affair or will there be a lot of modification needed.
I'd say there's room for a much more efficient unit. I'd measure the open
area between the supports that come off the fenders and find the largest
unit that will fit in the opening. The OEM radiators are fairly narrow and I
don't think take advantage of the room available.
You're also better off if you force as much air that comes in through the
grill through the radiator rather than letting it go around or under it. If
the replacement rad is smaller than the available space then fabricate
fillers so the the air can't go around the sides, maybe even shape them so
that they channel the air toward the rad rather than just being flat. I'd
also fab a bottom piece, and maybe a top piece, too, to keep the air from
going under or over the rad. I've got a BRE spook for my 2000 but don't plan
on installing it immediately. Think I'll see what I can do to improve
airflow through the rad both with and without it. Might just gain some front
down force along with improved cooling
You'll almost certainly need to home grow your main hoses, but that should
be fairly simple. Get friendly with a couple of the counter folks at your
local auto supply. Remember that you can connect a couple of lengths of hose
with a metal straight piece and additional clamps. That's often a good place
to tap into and connect the thermal sensor to control your fan, if you go
with an electric fan, of course. Swapping in newer/better radiators, with or
without an engine swap, is very common in 510s. No reason we can't do the
same with roadsters.
Oh..., you might want to make sure that your engine really is running hot.
Having accurate/reliable gauges is the primary reason I'm planning a custom
dash for my car.
HTH,
Ron
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