Quote:
Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C
Geez, quite a few companies sell "unfinished" products, don't they?
Sheetmetal patch panels come unfinished and require shaping prior to welding in. New doors for roadsters & phaetons are only partially assembled and tack-welded together, and require fitting & finishing before painting. Wood kits come unfinished and require holes to be drilled and notches to be made. Bushings for many items in a Model-A require finishing. Brake drums must be machined before using, and brake shoes require arcing prior to using. Floor mats require trimming, window channel requires cutting to the correct length, Upholstery components like windlace, panels, etc. all require cutting to length and finishing. Fender welt requires cutting. Frame welt requires cutting & punching holes. How about radiator hoses, or fuel lines, or...?? I could go one, but so much of our hobby is designed around finishing or modifying what we purchase. Rarely is anything ready to install right out of the box or package. Now understand, it could be ….however Model-A people are too cheap to pay the price to have it come 'ready to use'!
In the case of the radiator, I guess I just don't get what folks are bitching about in this thread. There are so many components in Model-A restoration where the manufacturer will custom-make to exacting fits if you provide exact measurements and specifications of your needs HOWEVER it requires effort and pre-planning on your part. It seems most here are too lazy and are seeming expecting/demanding a little too much without the willingness to put forth a little effort.
For example, if you want a glass kit, you can order one and hope it fits (-which all of them usually don't) -or you can send the Glazier detailed measurements and they will cut each glass piece for an exact fit. The same goes for upholstery. You can have the kit supplier sew-up a generic kit and when you receive it you hope it fits, --OR you send them the measurements of your springs, panels, bow locations, etc., and they will custom sew a kit that looks perfect when installed. How about a wood kit, you can let them custom cut to your body, --or you accept the wood however it comes. As mentioned above, in the case of the radiator, if you send your radiator shell and hose sizes, you will get a very nice piece. Blaming someone else for something you were "hoping for" or expecting should have never been a reason to start this topic from my vantage point.
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I disagree! When the manufacturer states, "Each radiator is tested with an original Ford shell to assure general fit, appropriate neck placement and accurate mounting bracket placement. " and it does not fit or is missing holes are you saying I only have myself to blame?
If a vendor advertises proper fit and finish on ANY product and it is not I guess that's my fault as well.
If I send you a Ford to restore and you send me back a Chevy I guess that's my fault as well since I expected my Ford back but did not specify it in the contract.
In this case, the manufacturer stopped all manufacture of the radiator in question, double checked his information, spent money to receive rush research documentation, found they actually were making it wrong and promised to make them correct with the correct dimensions from this point forward. That is a manufacturer I will deal with! We all make mistakes but if we follow your advice above, Mitch should have just sent all the measurements to them and had them make, and charge him, for a custom radiator as we should not expect them to provide what they advertise.