OK guys (& gals), I need a heater core. Classic Industries wants ~$55, the local AutoZone wants ~$17. Why should I not buy the cheap one?

You must have never installed one, it's not a job you want to do twice...... smile.gif

Shrek has a good point but IMHO which ever one you get I would get it pressure tested at a radiator shop before installing it.

Better safe than sorry with a job like this.

Ditto Shrek, choose wisely (not on price)
I just put one in my 69 Z last week, real fun it was. From what I read on this forum, the cheaper ones are imported while the more expensive are made in the USA. Mine was from Rick's and it fit perfect. No question which one I would get.

This installation is easy, since the heater box is out of the car for blasting and painting anyway. Heck, there isn't even a glove box in the way. I pulled the heater box from a '69 Nova.

There is a core in the box, but I figure that I should replace it with a new one. You are convincing me to spend the money for the quality.
Does anyone know the GM part number for a small block non-a/c application? I would like to check with www.gmpartsdirect.com (http://www.gmpartsdirect.com) to see what a genuine GM part would go for.

Should I consider letting the radiator shop check the condition of the used heater core?

The part number on my core from Rick's was GM9063-2 (small block w/o air) Another number on the box was 94536 ( i don't know what it was). As for the old core, you decide, I just put it in the box and put it in my shed. It was the original Harrison. I did not see much use, at this time, to check it since mine was leaking at a tube.

Hope this helps.

BTY, the core cost $44.

The core from the Nova looks OK, but since I got it from a non-running car, I don't know if it leaks or not.
It probably will be best just to replace it with a quality replacement. It might not leak now, but that's not to say it won't in the future.
Thanks for your comments and advice.

I ordered the expensive one from Rick's. It leaked. I had to have the pipes rewelded due to a very poor original weld. While deciding whether to buy another or have rewelded, I went to O'reilly's and asked if they had a USA made heater core for my 68 Camaro. They did. It was exactly like the one from Rick's but about $20 cheaper and no shipping costs.

stope4
Must have been soooo fustrating to go thorough all that work just to have it leak when it was installed. Why can't we just get parts on the first try!!!!!!!?????????

A big pita!

Stope4,

You did not do too much swearing at it did you? I wanted to make sure before I did mine so I paid to have mine pressure tested first. I don't want to do this again for a long time.

I agree PITA

I got my BB core from AZ. No problems.

there is no diff between the 2.
actually they get them at the same place .
No really.

Boy, wish I would have known this a couple weeks ago.

Just used one long drawn out four letter word. Really long!

To whomever said the expensive ones from ricks are made in the us as opposed to forieign made I had this presumption until I got mine and it said in bold lettering "MADE IN MEXICO" right across the side.....

So my $17 "Made in Mexico" heater core from Advance Auto is the same one that Rick's sells for $44? Advance Auto gives me a lift time warranty for the part, not the installation.

Mine from Ricks had stamped made in USA along with the box and it was a GM part. I don't know what to tell you to do. Last week I was confident what you should do. I researched this same subject several weeks ago and that was where I read about the imports and the american made heater cores. I suppose you are good and confused now....just like I am now finding out that these things are all coming from 1 place. What are you going to do. Mine is in and I hope to never have to do it again.

Mine from Ricks had stamped made in USA along with the box and it was a GM part. I don't know what to tell you to do. Last week I was confident what you should do. I researched this same subject several weeks ago and that was where I read about the imports and the american made heater cores. I suppose you are good and confused now....just like I am now finding out that these things are all coming from 1 place. What are you going to do. Mine is in and I hope to never have to do it again.


Then it must be that mine was a big block core

i looked around a lot when getting ready to replace mine, and found every aftermarket core a foreign made pos or it fit loose in my case, due to the core thickness (they were all thinner). the thin ones are a mofo to get back in in with the case i understand, probably because its tight at best, and if they dont fit right from the get go, it makes it harder to slip in.
i ended up going to a radiator shop, took my core in, and they found a core that had the same dimension, and soldered my factory ends to it. it fit like a glove, looked 100% factory, and they leak tested it before i left with it. i believe the core they used was just a modine, it looked real nice.
they also looked up what they had for a direct replacement, and verified it was indeed thinner. i'm sure it would have worked, but i wanted it to be right the first time.
and btw, it ended up costing about 60$, a small price to pay for a good part.

I used AC Delco for a replacement in the Monte Carlo. I attached two heater hoses, a section of PVC, attached an air coupling and pressurized to 50 psi., factory test pressure. Dunked the core into a tub of water and no bubbles shown.

Price of core $23,
Price of mat'ls, $1
Price of Peace of Mind, priceless.

The one that I put in from Rick's was the same thickness and same length as the original but it was 1/4 inch shorter in height. I had to bend the bracket (that has the screws) a little to make it work but it held tight. The other bracket (opposite of the tubes) fit and worked properly. It fit back in the same exact location in the box as the original. I had no problems re-securing the new core in the box, the PITA came trying to work the heater box back into place and GENTLY working the pipes through the firewall. We (3 guys) did it with no stress on the tubes. We had one guy on the passenger floor, one on the driverside and one guding the tubes through the fiewall. After it was done several beers were in order, while we ran the engine and made sure of no leaks (which there were none), thank god.

BUY a heater from a RADIATOR SHOP not the parts house
have them check it
tell them what the application is that you are installing
they know what it takes to put in another one..

have the purg and pressure check and let you know

a parts house is going to get the same heater core that the radiator shop is the only diffrence is that the rad shop guy knows what he is looking at. and the parts house guy usualy does not.. :hurray:

This post really gathered a lot of attention. I am going to take my $17 made-in-Mexico core back to AdvanceAuto and go to the radiator shop. Either he will get me a quality core, or fabricate one using the pipes from the old Nova unit.
Thank you for all the discussion!