Hey guys,

So, I was driving the other day and my '99 XJR started overheating and I immediately pulled off the side of the road and had my car towed to my mechanic. He's saying my radiator is leaking but wants $800 to replace it! He is a trusting guy who I have taken almost all my cars to so I know there's no issue there. Ideally I need to get an aftermarket one to save some money but was wondering if there was one brand in particular you guys could recommend? Thanks in advance for the replies!

 

You can try a online search, but if that includes labor it's not a bad price.

 

No, the $800 was just for the radiator. And yeah I did but with not much luck, which is why this forum is so great

As of right now, I found a guy who is parting out an XJR of my same year and is selling the radiator for $70. Not a bad solution but what are some thoughts on that? What should I look for/how should I test if there is a leak prior to install? This is of course if I decide to go this route. Thanks again!

 

I would take it to a radiator shop, have them pressure test it and flush it.

 

And they usually will warranty there parts.
www.car-part.com

 

For $70, you can't go wrong. I'd buy it and if there's any concern, take them both to a radiator shop (if they even have them anymore) and have them decide which one is best.

 

So i'm in the same boat here. My 2000 XJR has suffered a hairline crack in the right tank and is not repairable. I've talked to a number of radiator shops, even manufacturers of replacement plastic tanks and have not found any replacement options. The only option right now is an OEM replacement ranging between $800 - $1200 for the radiator alone.

So far, the only reasonable options I've come up with are:
1) Locate a used radiator if I can find one and hope for the best, maybe another year to two.
2) Look at using a 2004 XJR Radiator (appears to have the same core dimensions with slightly different inlet and outlet locations. Available online for $200-300 but will require some hose modifications)
3) Have a custom aluminum radiator fabricated- looks like it will cost around $500-700.
4) Find a close fit aftermarket radiator and adapt it.

Has anyone out there hit the same roadblock and found a good solution?

Rideordie- what did you end up doing?

 

Whether he is trusting is hardly the point. Is he trustworthy?