| VTECthis |
04-05-15 08:26 PM |
I am currently restoring my 1994 Chaste White Touring, 33k miles, and replacing the entire cooling system. All coolant hoses, water pump, thermostat, thermoswitch, and radiator are being replaced. This is my 4th FD, and after modding them to go fast for many years, I decided that rather than put aftermarket parts on an FD, I'd like to restore it to be like new, with all OEM parts, especially considering the rarity of the color combined with the low mileage. I'd like to keep this car factory pristine.
I looked at a few replacement radiators, especially the stock N3A1 unit, and after much back and forth, I decided that I would hunt down a 1999-2002 radiator, as research showed that it provides slightly more cooling than the 94' unit, but is still an OEM part. The FDs in Japan made up to 280ps in the later years, and it seems that Mazda improved the factory radiator, likely to compensate for the extra power. I also did not want to make any modifications to the car, and wanted to avoid aftermarket parts. While some will question my sanity, this is definitely a different route than most go, so I figured that I'd write it up, considering I couldn't find much information on it over this forum.
The 99-2002 radiator has the N3G1 designation through Mazda. I believe these may still be available through Mazdacomp, but there maybe a wait. Malloy Mazda advised that they were unable to obtain these. For anyone looking to go this route, rx7.com did have one in stock, so I ordered it up, after ensuring that there were absolutely ZERO modifications necessary for the install. The radiator fit perfectly, and the factory 1994 fans mounted up with no modification.
FYI, this radiator wasn't cheap, at just over $500. I'm well aware that a Fluidyne or Koyo are both cheaper and likely provide some additional cooling, but again, the OEM route was more appealing to me with my goals. The radiator came with new rubber mounts at the base, and new foam side ducting. Initial impression in the improvement over the stock unit, is that the 99-2002 unit has more fins and passages, which im assuming is the reason for better cooling. Pictures and temps to follow.
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