Bought a 1973 Chevy C20 pickup five years ago as a birthday present for myself.
350 V8, 4-speed and an 8-foot bed to actually haul stuff with. A 4x8 anything will fit in the bed with the tailgate closed!
Got tired of all the computers and electronics in the last truck I had. 2001 F250, every time the engine light would come on it was always $200+ to fix it, always a sensor or sensor related thingamajiggy that had nothing to do with the truck running good, just government junk that would keep you from passing emissions tests.
Any hoo, for the last year Bertie (wife named her) has had a mysterious coolant leak. We use her on the weekends around town and for an occasional trip to work, depending on the weather. Nothing over 25-35 miles each trip, she's geared for pulling not hi way cruising.
I always check the oil and coolant levels before an outing, something I have done since I was a kid.
Always needed a half gallon or more of antifreeze to Bertie before each trip, found a small drip at a coolant line on the intake last month and fixed that thinking that was the problem, nope!
Yesterday the leak revealed itself, started her up to let her warm up before our trip, came out ten minuets later to go and I saw a drip and a small puddle on the ground under the passenger side floor board area. Popped the hood thinking a coolant line at the heater core, nope antifreeze was trickling out the bottom seal of the heater core cover. Funny thing is the carpet and floor board inside the cab are dry as a bone. Shut her down and took the suby to finish out our errands.
Once home I looked online for a replacement, what the ?? there all made of aluminum now, 100% aluminum?? And the notes on most of these say some fitting required?? What's that about? Not a bolt in anymore?? I know the new cars, (to me) 1985 and up have plastic and aluminum radiators and have replaced a few in my day but never seen an aluminum heater core. And The last time I replaced a heater core was back in the early 90's in a 69 mercury cougar and its replacement was brass and copper and it fit right in, no fitting required!
I'll probably have to replace it with an aluminum one, fine. But I don't get the "some fitting required" thing they have in the notes. Not wanting to butcher Bertie.
Guess I'm too old school in my ways anymore. Just kind of threw me for a loop when I looked for a replacement and found there aluminum and not good old copper and brass.