Update:
Had a look at Ian's radiator but that was for a later 260Z whereas mine is the same rad as a 240Z.
I needed to get something sorted quickly as I was due to take the car to a classic car meet at Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds so I decided to get it fixed at a local place near Bristol that had fixed my heater matrix a couple of months earlier. This was about 4 weeks ago.
When I took it in, the guy had a look at it and said that the metal on the tanks was really thin as he reckoned they deteriorate from the inside. I left it there anyway and he rang me up later that day to say that there were loads of pinholes in the top tank and the seam between the tank and the core needed a new strip of solder. Again, cos I needed it quick I said go ahead. It cost about £50 and I got it back the next day.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be false economy. It did manage the intended trip and a further round trip of about 150 miles but I took it to the Z Club meet at Yate last weekend and noticed a puddle of water and antifreeze under the front of the car when I parked it up.
Rather than risk the drive out to Kemble with the others I decided to get it home and glad I did because on the way, it let go. by the time I got home, there was very little water left. I let it cool down and topped it up to see the extent of the problem and I had a fountain out of the side of the top tank.
So, in a nutshell, I am back to looking for a replacement radiator. The Mishimoto looks good and is around £250 & there is UK stock. Problem is, even £250 is out of my price range at the moment with Christmas looming rapidly but I need to get the car off my drive and back under the cover of my lock-up garage which is about 2 miles away. I can't drive it as it is.
I am therefore torn between getting the Mishimoto or going for a seemingly better quality 4-row replacement off e-bay for around £160 with a 2-year warranty. My Missus reckons that if the warranty is any good, go for it cos if it doesn't fit or a weld lets go, I can get my money back & 2 years is a reasonable time given the price. She said that even if they don't want to honour their warranty, I could raise a dispute with e-bay and probably get a refund through that.
That sort of made my mind up - probably not what the purists would do but will go for the e-bay one. I don't drive the car as a daily doing loads of miles so hopefully it will be ok. I will give my opinion on fit etc when I get it.
