Radiator Help - 1st Generation RX-7
 

Hi Guys - I am new to this board but not new to rotaries. I am the original owner of a 1980 RX-7 GS. I have owned this car for 29 years - probably older than some of the members.

I recently got the bug and want to get my car back on the road. I would like to try to attend 7 Stock North (Canada) in August.

After prepping the car for a couple of days, the engine fired up and ran great. I suspect my original rad and hoses need to be replaced. I could smell the coolant as the engine heated up but couldn't find any leaks. After removing the fan and shroud, I could easily see the greenish color rot on the bottom 5 - 6 inches of the radiator.

I did a quick search on the boards for replacement rads but most of the info is for newer RX-7's. I would like a direct replacement for the original rad - nothing that requires fabrication or custom brackets. My car uses the original oil cooler under the rad - so I will need a 3 core rad from what I've read.

I don't need anything too hard core for racing - but an aluminum rad would sure look pretty. My priorities in order would be exact fit, reliability & performance, visual appeal, price.

OK Guys ... help me out with this project so I can get my RX-7 back on the road this summer.

most auto parts store can order stock radiators , there is also http://www.blackdragonauto.com/

But they are not cheap
.

I got my radiator from www.rockauto.com don't buy a cap with it though it didn't fit the new rad, but fit the stock. bolted up perfect, no fab needed. but it was larger than the 80 since my cars an 83 with the bee hive oil cooler. so check if they have yours. I paid about 120 with shipping.

Edit: just checked they have the short 3 row rad, but its more than mine was. maybe it was onsale. but still under 200.

First place I would check is your local radiator shop. When I hit a deer at 80 mph on the Interstate in the middle of Kansas, I had the van towed to the nearest parts store. Within a few blocks was a radiator shop and I watched in amazement as the owner dug around for parts and built a new radiator from scratch, using only the my bottom tank since that was the only oem part of the radiator that was salvageable. Not only was I impressed by his skill but also how simple it was to build a rad from scratch with the right tools, knowledge and a rather large stockpile of saved used parts.

With your rad in that kind of condition, be sure to thoroughly flush the entire cooling system along with replacing all rubber hoses, waterpump, belts and the Mazda oem thermostat.

I bought the rad for my 80 GS (welcome, brother!) thru my local rad shop; perfect fit, and has worked flawlessly for several years. The only way to tell it is not original is if you notice that it is equipped with an auto-trans cooling loop, and the maker's sticker on the top.

I just replaced the radiator in my 1980 RX7 so I've been there.

This is what I found:

There are 2 basic brands of aftermarket radiators for our car, one made by CSF, and the other by Proliance.

Look for discounts. The average retail is about $200 to $300, before discounts.

The best price I found was from RadiatorBarn.com. They offer a CSF brand radiator for $165.05 with free shipping. You can get a Proliance for about the same price elsewhere.

I was leaning toward the CSF, but got the Proliance because that's what my mechanic could get the quickest. If I were to do it again, I'd get the CSF. The Proliance was a pain.

The holes didn't fit the stock sensors and needed an adapter, the sensors were not in the original locations and needed to be run differently, and the shroud mounts were a pain because it didn't have the nuts welded like the OEM radiator. That made it a pain to get your fat fingers behind the mount to hold the nut while you tried to secure the mounting bolt.

Anyway, good luck and I hope this helps.

check out this Thread-
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=832991
he bought one of those chinese-made aluminum rads - lots of pics and comments, and seems in your price range. One posted on ebay right now: $200 OBO

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska