MGB & GT Forum

Can someone recommend a mechanic in the California northern Bay Area who can repair a leaking radiator? I would remove the radiator from our '67 MGB and bring it in and reinstall it myself after the repair.

I've been to this shop, was impressed by the owner's enthusiasm and years of experience. He told me my fuel tank was beyond repair, so I didn't have him do work for me. He had been recommended by a machine shop in Petaluma that had done work for me on an MGB engine.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/mervs-radiator-service-petaluma

Wish I could help.
For anyone in So Oregon or Siskiyou County Calf,(State of Jefferson)
AVOID Medford Radiator. Incompetent butchers in my opinion and experience.
See Kevin in Gts Pass. He knows what he is doing.

If the leak is from physical damage, like from a rock putting a hole in the radiator, then a localized fix would work. But if the leaking is due to corrosion, then the rest of the radiator is probably not far behind, and a re-core is likely needed. I'm in the Bay Area, and when I priced a re-core for my '67 several years ago (10 to 20!) at several shops in a 20 mile radius, the price for a re-core was almost twice the price for a new radiator. I'm pretty sure it would be even worse now. So you might be better off getting a new radiator.

You don't need a mechanic, just a radiator shop. Any radiator shop can do the work, it's nothing special.

Except that radiator shops don't really exist anymore. Sure there may be a few but they are few and far between for many years now. For an MGB replacement is now the way to go. The local radiator shops where I live have been out of business for over 20 years now. Cheers

I agree with Robert; not many radiator shops left. I recommended the shop in Petaluma because it's still in business, it has a good reputation, and it's not that far from Napa to Petaluma.

As far as buying a new radiator, I would opt for reconditioning an old part if at all possible, as new parts are too often poor quality and don't fit properly.

They aren't as common as they once were, but there are several radiator shops within 30 miles of Napa.

Your original radiator is better than any new radiator. That's why the new ones are so cheap. Merv's is only 45 minutes away. Take your old one to him and see what he says.

Silas

Steve, radiator repair is something special, and that's why almost all the radiator shops are gone now. Auto repair shops that say they do radiators, means they can install a new one.

There was a radiator shop in Santa Rosa that was very old and established and highly-regarded, Dutton Radiator. It's gone now too, and I don't think there's another radiator shop in the region other than Merv's. Over the years, Dutton had rodded many radiators for me, and pressure tested my heater cores.

Sadly, radiator shops are like automotive machine shops in that they are dying off. We need to treasure those kinds of businesses, and do what you can to keep them going.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-12 08:22 PM by miatadon.

I disagree that "any" radiator shop can do an MGB radiator.
Most shops have never seen one.
And , in my experience last year, the "best" radiator shop in So Oregon.
was said to be Medford Radiator.,
I took them a very clean, near perfect. radiator with a pin hole on the forward side of the upper tank directly across from the fill pipe.
Perfect vanes, great paint, no other issues.
Two weeks later I got a call saying it was ready.. luckily I had a NOS factory radiator in my stash of parts so installed it temporarily.
I went to the shop, paid the $125 and aske where it was as all I saw was a badly made 2x4 and osb rack with some shoddy lookinf rads.
They told me it was right behind me. They did not offer to get it down from the rack.
Here is what I got.
1. better than 80% of my original paint was gone and the rest was peeling off.
2. The pinhole , and I mean a garden variety sewing pin hole, was now slathered with 3/16ths inch thick 3 1/2 inches long, 1 3/4inch wide solder. No filing, no nicey nice, glopped on.
Looked like an 8 year old did it.
3. As I carried it out to that car at least 2 cups of rusty water poured out of it.
4. I decided not to go back to the office as the goons working there and their imported staff did not seem to be interested in either quality work or "customer service.

I took it home, cleaned it up inside and outside. Removed the remaining paint., straightened all the vanes with my radiator comb. Then repainted the radiator.
I removed the NOS radiator and installed this one. New anti freeze and cap and hoses.
The following day I took the car for a 10 mile drive. HMMM why is the temp gauge rising, it's only 68 degrees out.
I popped the hood/bonnet open and there it is, Old Faithful pissing out the exact same location.

I pulled the radiator, installed the other and took a trip to Gts Pass Or where I had rad work doon several times over a decade or so..
He removed the glopped on solder, found a repaired a crack that the shop gifted to me which was a result of pulling the "in spout (fill neck).
He put a small 3/8ths inch brass disc over the pin hole and soldered it in such a way it looked like a deliberate factory job complete with touch up paint.. Hard to tell it was done.
Back on the road 2 days later.

So, no, not "any" radiator shop can repair an MGB radiator.

Radiator shops have gone the way of Chrome shops.
If you do find one, chances are
1. They are old school and will soon be gone.
2. The current new guy's quality will be substandard.

Mountain View Radiator in Mountain View CA (SF bay/south peninsula) is competent. San Carlos Radiator (mid peninsula) was great, haven't checked in lately.

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Max Heim
'66 MGB "Uroboros"

Chances are, any old school radiator shop you find has seen hundreds of MGB radiators, and there's nothing special about them. An MGB radiator is exactly like every other radiator out there - two tanks soldered to a core. A radiator repair guy would laugh if you suggested he wasn't qualified to fix an MGB radiator.

I am speaking locally,
Hundreds of MGBs is unlikely..
They butchered mine.