DeTomaso Mailing List: May 1997, Message #143
![[previous topic]](../images/prev_topic.gif)
![[index]](../images/index.gif)
![[next topic]](../images/next_topic.gif)
Capt Mike Drew 150 Westgate Dr. San Francisco, CA 94127 Home: (415) 334-7860 E-mail: MikeLDrew@aol.com Hello All, Don Franck wrote, I have a 71 pantera with stock radiator and three fans. The car has been running a bit hot in stop and go traffic on cool days. I am very concerned about the 95+ degree Texas heat this summer. Does anyone have experience or opinion on after market radiators (Cook, Hall, etc)? >>>Ah. Now here is a situation where a list member is asking for specific experiences with products from various vendors. Is a testimonial in favor of a particular vendor's product then considered a socially offensive 'steer' towards that vendor? For what its worth, Don, there's nothing particularly mysterious about aftermarket Pantera radiators, I don't think. In fact, there's a certain incestuous nature to the Pantera parts selling business; many times several vendors will source common products such as these from the same manufacturer, because it cuts costs overall; i.e. instead of having a radiator shop custom-build units in ones and twos, several vendors agree to get their radiators from the same source (or, one vendor takes responsibility for procuring them and the other vendors then buy from him at a big-time discount and they all retail for close to the same amount), and then you've got economies of scale involved in their production and everyone's costs come down. So when it comes to radiators, in general I'd suggest that by purchasing from a vendor, you're paying for convenience and R&D. If you're in an area that has good radiator people, you could get one custom-made (i.e. by having them re-core your existing radiator using the existing end-tanks) and would probably have a product equal in quality and performance. The problem is, it might cost as much or more as a vendor-procured unit, plus you'd have the down-time to contend with, and there's always a chance something could go awry and it wouldn't fit, etc. Regarding the issue of 'commercialization' of the list raised by Dave, I can see his point in theory, but so far not in practice. That is, I don't think vendors should use this list as an avenue to offer unsolicited advertisements (i.e. running 'ads' on the list). So far, this hasn't happened. However, when somebody writes in asking for advice, that advice will almost always entail referring the questioner to a vendor or vendors. I am probably most 'guilty' of steering people one way or another, and I figure I'm the primary target of Dave's criticism. But any advice I offer is based solely on my personal experience. I'm nobody's agent. By virtue of the fact that I store my cars in Larry Stock's shop, I have plenty of access to the place, and can thus inform people of what he has and what it costs. I don't necessarily advocate buying from him versus anyone else; in fact I try my best to avoid the appearance of being partisan. There are some products I think are better sourced elsewhere, and when that's the case, I've said so directly. By virtue of the fact that my Pantera was a total mess when I bought it, I've been fortunate (?) enough to have purchased virtually EVERY Pantera part on the market, and I've purchased from EVERY vendor out there except Cory in Wisconsin, and that's only because I didn't know he existed until fairly recently. The parts book is an example; I think I suggested that the questioner buy one; I said I knew Larry sells them for $25, and thought the other vendors were about the same. Then Kent from Collector's Choice came in to say his were $25 as well. Thanks for the input, Kent. So, buy it from whoever you want, keeping in mind the industry price should be in the $25 range. PI has it for only $20. Great. Super. If they'd let us know right away, maybe they could have helped this fellow save $5. Let's keep in mind what this e-mail list is for. It's for helping people, disseminating information, and having fun. It's essentially like sitting around with your buddies on a Saturday afternoon and bench-racing. It's certainly not a place to be playing 'I've got a secret' by withholding information that could be helpful to people just because it points somebody who's otherwise directionless towards a specific vendor. That's PC BS. I have noticed that list members have been extremely conscientious about never writing anything negative about a specific vendor, either. Those that have had positive experiences have shared them; those that have had negative experiences have chosen to keep that information to themselves, and generally I applaud this. I think everyone has felt 'burned' by one vendor or another, but that doesn't necessarily mean that vendor is a Bad Guy out to burn everyone, and I think most people understand that any bad experiences they had with a vendor as often as not resulted from a clash of two particular personalities, and it really wouldn't be fair to generalize based on this. I have my favorite vendors (besides Larry), and I'll refer people to them based on how well they've treated me and how well their products work, which is only natural. Other people are highly encouraged to do the same, and then the questioner can make an informed decision as to how to spend his/her hard-earned dollars. So Dave, (and any other vendors who might be reading this list), when somebody needs help or advice and you have the ability to offer it but don't, that's your choice, and I won't gainsay you. But don't criticize others who are willing to share their experiences, which are often hard-earned, to try to help the New Guys who, after all, are the future of this hobby. I'll continue to do whatever I can to help make a specific person's ownership experience a more positive one, and if that means advocating the purchase of a specific vendor's part, so be it. Okay, I'm off to Wake island.... Mike