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The easiest and most profitable thing a radiator repair shop can say is "your core is full of holes". For a number of years, I had a repair shop that never condemned any of my radiators. Before I knew him and after he retired, that's all I hear. Whereas I used to routinely get my radiators cleaned and checked out, that option no longer works. Most of the shops think that owner anticipation and expectation on an antique radiator is equivalent to the automotive repair facility who doesn't give a damn what the replacement cost is because they are not paying for it. I had a radiator done several months ago. I got the song and dance about how bad it was. He claimned it had seven leaks. I stood firm and told him that I knew why and where it leaked and told him to repair that area only. It leaked due to chafing from the steel frame rubbing on the lower tank/core joint. On top of that I told him not to paint it. I think very few of these old radiators go bad if proper maintenance is practiced. At this point, I think it would be foolish for anyone to believe the repair shop. The next time I need radiator repair, I will buy the rubber expansion plugs and run my own test at 10 psi. For the price of ten dollars, I can specify what work will be done. I will not be at their mercy.
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