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There is no one subject that comes up more frequently than classic Mustang cooling. Classic Mustang owners have fought cooling related issues for as long as we have been in business. We have often been asked if these cars ran hot when they were new. Mine did not. In August of 1964 I took possession of a brand new vintage burgundy fastback in Lawton, Oklahoma. It certainly gets hot in this area of Oklahoma. My fastback never ran hot. In December of 1964 I relocated to El Paso, Texas along with my fastback. It ran cool there as well. In the spring of 1965 I went to El Paso Ford and swapped the fastback for a silver blue convertible with a white standard interior. This convertible stayed with me until 1969. It traveled all over the Southwest desert areas and never ran hot. I sure loved that convertible. I met my wife of 39 years in that Mustang. Great memories of a very "cool" car!
So why do the Mustangs run hot today and what can we do about it? Well, virtually all of the engines have been rebuilt by now. During this rebuilding process these engines were typically bored out 30 thousands or sometimes 40 thousands. The water jackets obviously got a little thinner. Other engines got corroded inside restricting the flow of water. Believe it or not even incorrect engine timing can lead to overheating issues. Our highways and city streets are much more crowded today. We spend a great deal more time sitting in traffic. All these things contribute to overheating.
We at K.A.R. struggled with overheating issues for years. We no longer struggle with overheating. We learned how to make classic Mustangs perform well within an acceptable temperature range.
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Recently rebuilt engines will have been hot tanked and cleaned. All the water passages will be wide open. Other engines typically can benefit from a good engine flushing. In fact, we often flush engines several times to insure all debris and corrosion are removed. All well-known auto parts stores sell engine flushing kits.
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Note the number of fin rows totaling 42 on this K.A.R. Performance radiator. This is approximately 25% more than a typical radiator. |
Given the age of our classic Mustang engines and all the points mentioned above, nothing is more important than the radiator. Just any radiator will not do! Most classic Mustang owners have learned about 3 core and 4 core radiators. Actually most classic Mustangs today are running with a 3 or 4 core radiator. Yet, many of these Mustangs still run hot. We have learned that two things are critical to a radiator’s ability to adequately cool:
- Number of the rows within the radiator
- Number of fins per square inch on the outside of the radiator
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Tubes are very important for water flow and heat absorption. Fins per square inch are critical. Most radiators sold today have 16 fins per square inch. The radiators sold by K.A.R. have 24 fins per square inch. Fins dissipate heat so more is better. Most 1965 or 1966 radiators sold today have 35 rows of fins across the face of the radiator. K.A.R.’s 1965-1966 radiators have 42 rows of fins across the face. That represents an approximate 25% increase in cooling capacity but yet K.A.R.’s radiators have a stock looking appearance. The same relationships exist for the other years of classic Mustangs. When we install a K.A.R. Performance Radiator in a classic Mustang, it drops the operating temperature by 25-40 degrees. This is a huge drop and it can make the difference between an enjoyable drive and one plagued with overheating issues. K.A.R. sells and services a lot of classic Mustangs every year. We do not have overheating issues even though many of these Mustangs are sold to very hot sun-belt areas. Performance Radiators work.
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Note that the fin rows are more spaced out on this typical radiator. This radiator has only 35 fin rows across its face versus the K.A.R. Performance radiator's 42 rows. The performance radiator will outperform this radiator by a minimum of 25 Degrees lower cooling temperature and it is often as much as 40 degrees. |
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Typical Classic Mustang Fan Shroud Design |
Do radiator fan shrouds work? Yes, they certainly do. A well-designed shroud in conjunction with a Performance Radiator can almost always eliminate overheating issues. Keep in mind that a fan shroud has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is the area closest to the radiator while the outlet is closest to the engine. The inlet is most effective when it is close to the same size as the radiator core. The outlet should be slightly larger than the radiator fan itself. For summer driving we prefer a 160-degree thermostat if one is available for any given engine. Some 1969 and later engines require a 180-185 degree thermostat.
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Note that the electric fan covers only about 1/2 of the radiator core surface. When the fan is turned on, as an example while sitting in traffic, only the portion of the core surrounded by the fan is receiving air flow. Better than nothing but certainly not ideal. |
Frankly, we do not think an auxiliary electric fan is necessary for normal street driving. A Performance Radiator, fan shroud, and proper thermostat will do the job very nicely. Keep in mind that many electric fans do not cover the entire radiator. In these cases, when sitting in traffic, only the portion of the radiator covered by the electric fan is receiving airflow. There is nothing wrong with electric fans; they just should not be necessary.
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We have focused this topic on the average classic Mustang and the owner who simply wants to drive his or her classic Mustang in hot weather conditions without the fear of overheating. We assume the average Mustang owner wants his or her car to look stock under the hood. Your Mustang can run cool and look stock under the hood. K.A.R. can help!
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There are other products that can aid in cooling. High volume water pumps and even electric water pumps are available. Aluminum radiators are available. Even aluminum radiators with factory attached electric fans and shrouds are available as ready to install kits. These are all great products that work. However, they are expensive and should not be necessary. They also detract from the factory stock appearance many classic Mustang owners seek.
Classic Mustangs do not have to run hot!
George Waydo, President K.A.R. Auto Group
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