[TR] TR3 Aluminum Radiators

Randall tr3driver at ca.rr.com
Tue May 22 12:06:02 MDT 2012


> Aluminum IS stronger than copper, and DOES cool better, and. Is
> CERTAINLY not
> cheaper, does NOT corrode more if properly maintained, so just where
> all of
> R's "facts" come from?

Hokay, fine.  Here's just one reference, showing the current price for
copper is over 3 TIMES the price of aluminum.
http://www.metalprices.com/
New prices are similar, I just didn't happen to find a reference with both
of them on the same page.

Aluminum cans do bring somewhat more at the local recycling place, because
of the deposit on the cans, but copper is still a lot higher.

Next time you have your thermostat housing off, take a look inside.  Note
how much of it has been corroded away over the years; likely it has pits
that are far deeper than the thickness of the radiator tanks.  When I bought
a previous 56 TR3 from a Texas cornfield, the Tstat housing was literally
corroded through, and yet the original radiator still held water.

TeriAnn has already supplied the figures on thermal conductivity; I'll let
you look up the numbers on tensile strength and so on.

-- Randall 


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