Brucer
New Member
Hey everyone,
i had today off work and my new radiator shell come in, well, not new shell but a nice original one, so off to the radiator shops i went..
Now in my somewhat local area, within 45 minutes of me i have 2 of the premier radiator shops in the country, Afco and RRC.... (American Fabrication COmpany, and Performance Rod and Custom, both are well respected in the streetrod and drag race scene..
I arrived at Afco i was greeted with a sales person, and his radiator blueprint thats blank, they tend to meet you like that when your carrying a radiator shell.. the service was very speedy, but the price quoted was outrageous , and from what i've seen of afco is thier quality has deminished over the past 2 years, weld quality and so on isnt what it use to be.. i was quoted $450 plus tax... i was thank you for your time, but i think thats too much, i think i'll get some more prices, see you later..
Next stop PRC, basicly the same story, greeted at the front door with a blank diagram and a tape measure.. took 3 measurements and BAM, quote of $430 plus tax.. i was like geez, i think i might have to learn to tig aluminum a lil better and start building my own radiators...
Now with that being said..
Guys and gals i'm a small town guy, and i like honesty and comfort in a purchase.. I want my moneys worth, and things like this i try to do locally to help the economy as much as i can, but both of these places have grown to big and want entirely to much much for thier products.. I'm a machinst/tool & die guy by trade, and i have to work hard to earn a living, and most of you know that the trade is failing in this country due to overseas competition...I also know how much these places are paying thier help ,and its alot less than you would think, especially from the specialized stuff they are producing, and also for what its selling for..
Also to add, from what i've seen of both companies, they spend alot of money on Racecars and Showcars and that seems like an expense they need to do away with.. if its my money thats funding that stuff i just cant stand it, i fund my own car, but i dont want to build someone elses. i understand its about profit but enough is enough when a company builds a $100,000 dollar car to showcase thier product.. times are changing people..
Ok, now ive left prc and was on my way back to a local Rod Shop to speak with the owner and get some info, and i try to use this place as much as i can. if you seen the engine i just built, about every piece of aluminum come from this place, and he cuts me great deals... I was talking radiator with him, and as were talking i'm standing there looking at an afco radiator and i wasnt impressed at all with the quality... We talked about PRC and he said he could cut his profit off and sell it to me for $380, and i said, thats a nice offer but i think i'm going to find something else, the whole time i'm thinking of Superior radiator on E-bay.. Then he says something like, Have you tried Alum-A-Tech. i was like hmm, havent heard of that one yet, so i pull out my handy blackberry mobile thingy and get directions , tell the owner catch ya later ,and off i go.. The whole time i'm on my way there, i'm thinking ,just go back to the house and order a Superior Radiator and go on with it, but something told me to go to this place and check it out.. glad i did..
Next stop Alum-A-Tech, i pull into the parking lot which is big enough for about 6 cars total, its a small 3 car sized block building with a office in front.. They have a sheetmetal shear, a brake and a couple nice lincoln tig machines and a plasma cutter and misc. other fabricating equipment.. I went in through the back, and looked around and its a pretty simple operation, they build radiators and transmission coolers.. It was neat and clean with one man working on a radiator, so i pass him and enter the front office and the owner was on the phone and, when i enterd he asked if the guy on the phone could hold on a second, then he says, looks like you need a T radiator , i was like yep.. he stated he would be a minute on the phone and i was welcome to look around,so i looked around and seen several of his radiators that were getting ready to ship out, and some that were pick-ups, they were nice pieces.. First thing i noticed, his radiators seemed or looked cleaner than the Afco unit i seen at the rod shop, so i look some more over, and i kept asking myself why did his tops look cleaner than Afco's, you know, just one of the things that kinda nags at you.. Ok i take a look at his tranny coolers and some other stuff, its all nice and clean craftsmanship and simple, and stout looking, its not rocket science its a radiator
.. Ok he gets off the phone, askes if he could see my radiator shell, he takes a couple measurements and says we have a deal going right now and i'll sell you one for $399 out the door, i was man thats still alot of money, but this guy i felt wanted my business, he actually talked to me and treated me as a customer, he explained himself and his radiators,the other places were alot more cut and dry if you know what i mean, kind of like take measurements, and get his money thing.. Then as we were standing there and i was deciding on whether or not to tell him to do it i was looking at one of his radiators, and i was getting ready to open my mouth and before i could get anything out he, states Our tops look cleaner dont they, i was like WTF (What The F*ck to you older guys ) he read my mind, i was like yea they do, what am i missing.. he simply states we try to weld as little as we can, it makes a stronger and better looking radiator,simpler the better , and this guy was simple, you could tell it, he wanted you to be a customer and it showed.. so i told him to go ahead and do it, and he boasts , Sweet.. it will take 2 to 3 weeks, we build 10 radiators at a time, each one is always different, but we do it that way so we can concentrate on the design, and try to get it as clean and simple as we can and fill the orders a little quicker..
PRC radiators i know from reputation, Afco radiators i've used in the past on several cars i've built for others, they werent T-buckets though.. The afco radiators for the T-bucket have 2 welds that run completely across the top of the radiator, i seen this at the rod shop i stopped at,and this is where i was seeing the difference, i couldnt pinpoint it but i knew something looked different on the Alum-A-Tech units that i was looking at in the guys store front.. now my T radiator might have welds all across the top of it, i dunno, but we're going to find out..He stated in our conversations that hes the small guy, and he doesnt want to get much bigger, if any at all,he wants to produce quality products with not alot of overhead, and i liked hearing that. I will have a lifetime quality and craftsmanship warantee on my radiator, plus it will be local, so i won thave to ship it anywhere to get it fixed if need be..
So when i go back i'm going to take pictures of the shop and some radiators and tranny coolers, and some of my T radiator.. i'll give you my impressions on my next visit there, but the way i was treated at his shop is the way it should be.. Makes me think the American Way things should be done..
Also to add : when afco started they were small, and grew rapidly got huge. Both of the owners of PRC and Alum-A-Tech were former employees of the old Afco..All 3 have been in business for a while now..
Stay tuned for the update
i had today off work and my new radiator shell come in, well, not new shell but a nice original one, so off to the radiator shops i went..
Now in my somewhat local area, within 45 minutes of me i have 2 of the premier radiator shops in the country, Afco and RRC.... (American Fabrication COmpany, and Performance Rod and Custom, both are well respected in the streetrod and drag race scene..
I arrived at Afco i was greeted with a sales person, and his radiator blueprint thats blank, they tend to meet you like that when your carrying a radiator shell.. the service was very speedy, but the price quoted was outrageous , and from what i've seen of afco is thier quality has deminished over the past 2 years, weld quality and so on isnt what it use to be.. i was quoted $450 plus tax... i was thank you for your time, but i think thats too much, i think i'll get some more prices, see you later..
Next stop PRC, basicly the same story, greeted at the front door with a blank diagram and a tape measure.. took 3 measurements and BAM, quote of $430 plus tax.. i was like geez, i think i might have to learn to tig aluminum a lil better and start building my own radiators...
Now with that being said..
Guys and gals i'm a small town guy, and i like honesty and comfort in a purchase.. I want my moneys worth, and things like this i try to do locally to help the economy as much as i can, but both of these places have grown to big and want entirely to much much for thier products.. I'm a machinst/tool & die guy by trade, and i have to work hard to earn a living, and most of you know that the trade is failing in this country due to overseas competition...I also know how much these places are paying thier help ,and its alot less than you would think, especially from the specialized stuff they are producing, and also for what its selling for..
Also to add, from what i've seen of both companies, they spend alot of money on Racecars and Showcars and that seems like an expense they need to do away with.. if its my money thats funding that stuff i just cant stand it, i fund my own car, but i dont want to build someone elses. i understand its about profit but enough is enough when a company builds a $100,000 dollar car to showcase thier product.. times are changing people..
Ok, now ive left prc and was on my way back to a local Rod Shop to speak with the owner and get some info, and i try to use this place as much as i can. if you seen the engine i just built, about every piece of aluminum come from this place, and he cuts me great deals... I was talking radiator with him, and as were talking i'm standing there looking at an afco radiator and i wasnt impressed at all with the quality... We talked about PRC and he said he could cut his profit off and sell it to me for $380, and i said, thats a nice offer but i think i'm going to find something else, the whole time i'm thinking of Superior radiator on E-bay.. Then he says something like, Have you tried Alum-A-Tech. i was like hmm, havent heard of that one yet, so i pull out my handy blackberry mobile thingy and get directions , tell the owner catch ya later ,and off i go.. The whole time i'm on my way there, i'm thinking ,just go back to the house and order a Superior Radiator and go on with it, but something told me to go to this place and check it out.. glad i did..
Next stop Alum-A-Tech, i pull into the parking lot which is big enough for about 6 cars total, its a small 3 car sized block building with a office in front.. They have a sheetmetal shear, a brake and a couple nice lincoln tig machines and a plasma cutter and misc. other fabricating equipment.. I went in through the back, and looked around and its a pretty simple operation, they build radiators and transmission coolers.. It was neat and clean with one man working on a radiator, so i pass him and enter the front office and the owner was on the phone and, when i enterd he asked if the guy on the phone could hold on a second, then he says, looks like you need a T radiator , i was like yep.. he stated he would be a minute on the phone and i was welcome to look around,so i looked around and seen several of his radiators that were getting ready to ship out, and some that were pick-ups, they were nice pieces.. First thing i noticed, his radiators seemed or looked cleaner than the Afco unit i seen at the rod shop, so i look some more over, and i kept asking myself why did his tops look cleaner than Afco's, you know, just one of the things that kinda nags at you.. Ok i take a look at his tranny coolers and some other stuff, its all nice and clean craftsmanship and simple, and stout looking, its not rocket science its a radiator
.. Ok he gets off the phone, askes if he could see my radiator shell, he takes a couple measurements and says we have a deal going right now and i'll sell you one for $399 out the door, i was man thats still alot of money, but this guy i felt wanted my business, he actually talked to me and treated me as a customer, he explained himself and his radiators,the other places were alot more cut and dry if you know what i mean, kind of like take measurements, and get his money thing.. Then as we were standing there and i was deciding on whether or not to tell him to do it i was looking at one of his radiators, and i was getting ready to open my mouth and before i could get anything out he, states Our tops look cleaner dont they, i was like WTF (What The F*ck to you older guys ) he read my mind, i was like yea they do, what am i missing.. he simply states we try to weld as little as we can, it makes a stronger and better looking radiator,simpler the better , and this guy was simple, you could tell it, he wanted you to be a customer and it showed.. so i told him to go ahead and do it, and he boasts , Sweet.. it will take 2 to 3 weeks, we build 10 radiators at a time, each one is always different, but we do it that way so we can concentrate on the design, and try to get it as clean and simple as we can and fill the orders a little quicker..PRC radiators i know from reputation, Afco radiators i've used in the past on several cars i've built for others, they werent T-buckets though.. The afco radiators for the T-bucket have 2 welds that run completely across the top of the radiator, i seen this at the rod shop i stopped at,and this is where i was seeing the difference, i couldnt pinpoint it but i knew something looked different on the Alum-A-Tech units that i was looking at in the guys store front.. now my T radiator might have welds all across the top of it, i dunno, but we're going to find out..He stated in our conversations that hes the small guy, and he doesnt want to get much bigger, if any at all,he wants to produce quality products with not alot of overhead, and i liked hearing that. I will have a lifetime quality and craftsmanship warantee on my radiator, plus it will be local, so i won thave to ship it anywhere to get it fixed if need be..
So when i go back i'm going to take pictures of the shop and some radiators and tranny coolers, and some of my T radiator.. i'll give you my impressions on my next visit there, but the way i was treated at his shop is the way it should be.. Makes me think the American Way things should be done..
Also to add : when afco started they were small, and grew rapidly got huge. Both of the owners of PRC and Alum-A-Tech were former employees of the old Afco..All 3 have been in business for a while now..
Stay tuned for the update
