the problem with lee is he wants people to feel bad for him if you have the radiator in front of you and you have experience in rebuilding them for years and you give a price you should stand by your quote and im not the only person you have done this to. IM not looking for anyone from club to call him just beware of how he does business and if price was a couple hundred over ok but 1000 without calling customer is poor business and you should be called on it
The West Coast Chapter Toured their shop a few years ago. I've been back for two Model T radiators. A fan blade broke and ruined the first one they made. The return inlet on the second had to be modified as the cross member it sits on was bent. They reworked it and didn't charge me anything. I have been very satisfied with their work.
Building a radiator is an incredibly labor intensive process. My Star radiator is made up of hundreds of square tubes that need to be stacked together and then soldered. When I replaced mine, I had it done in England. The cost was well north of $3,300.
According to BW, it takes a year of training before someone can be expected to do a radiator on their own. The California labor market is very tight and our environmental regulations are the strictest in the nation.
Where Are You From? North of Golden Gate Bridge
Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 Star Touring