Welcome back to the video reviews,

This week, basic car care and maintenance. If you were like me, you were indoctrinated into a fear of hot things under the car hood from an early age. With me, it followed an innocent question about why somebody’s car was pulled off to the side of the road with flames shooting out from the hood. My father mumbled something about how he hoped that the fool didn’t try to open the hood when it was so hot. So, this video reminder that I should use a towel or glove to remove the radiator cap – and ONLY after things were cooled down and I had done a touch-check of the hoses – was fine with me. And although we have all heard that warning, and it is printed right on the radiator cap, I didn’t mind hearing it again.

However, from the female point of view, what I liked best in this video is that I can now walk into an auto shop and buy coolant without looking like a fool. Neither my mother, nor my father thought that it was important for me to know that coolant comes in both diluted or non-diluted solutions before I moved out of the house. I guess they just didn’t think it was a critical piece of life information. Unfortunately, I was taught how to check coolant level so I was one of those “little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing” people. I’ve made auto supplies purchases many times based on the teensy-weensy bit of auto knowledge that I have picked up along the way. Sometimes, I actually pull off a purchase without looking dumb. At least I can now feel confident in one more auto products aisle – radiator coolant.

And by the way, based on this video, give me a good 50-50 radiator coolant any day. It suits my lifestyle. I have no idea if it suites yours, but thanks to this video we can both understand the choice!

Susie

Hello again video viewers,

This video makes me feel good about the 1-800-Radiator approach to doing business. Rapid franchise growth can be risky but Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Rippey, explains the company’s expansion in a way that makes sense. Jumping from a two store mom-and-pop operation to 120 stores in less than two years is a gutsy move for any company. When you franchise that fast, lots of things can go wrong – everything from cash flow to critical elements like service and quality that people came for in the first place. Joseph explains that 1-800-Radiator strength is actually in those growth numbers that gives some key advantages.

Volume lets them use sophisticated purchasing systems that can compare prices and quality with 16 vendors at a time. That is more than just impressive. It is the kind of buying power can only be done when you are big and growing and it benefits the owners and the customers. Their warehouses are huge (which is clear from the video shots) but equally impressive is the way that franchises share inventory, which translates into satisfied customers who get what they are looking for when they want it, and always at discount radiator and auto parts prices. With 250 stores planned by the end of the year, it’s a good bet that if one store doesn’t have what you need, another will. Kudos for a smart business model that supports local community franchise owners by giving them a big-company edge and their customer the savings through genuine price breaks.

Susie

How to Install a Radiator in your Chevy Engine (in a Ford)- Part 2 : That’s a mouthful.

As a female, I am sometimes annoyed by what sometimes seems like a conspiracy on the part of male inventors who go out of their way to make certain that parts of similar products are incompatible. Give me one good reason why Mac and IBM computers had to go their own separate ways. And why can’t I find a compatible adaptor for my (OK, it’s old) Yamaha electronic keyboard? Yadda, yadda, yadda with the seventeen electric cords that are stuffed in my kitchen drawers for when I need to charge up one of my assorted small household electronics and appliances.

Well, after watching this video of Doug Jenkins installing a Chevy radiator in a Ford, I confess that I may have judged too quickly and too harshly. Perhaps men are beginning to see the light – or, at least men like Doug the quick-change artist are. And all it took, according to Doug, was planning - mocking the whole thing up carefully before installation to be sure that everything fit perfectly. I watched him with my own eyes as he took a slightly modified Chevy radiator and dropped it into its new Ford engine home like it was born there. Part of the trick was what he calls “captive nuts,” of which he has a seemingly endless supply of sizes, because they hold the intake and outlet holes in the exact place they need to be for everything to work. Bravo Doug, you’ve restored my faith in progress!

The Rolls Royce is known for is class and sophistication in the auto industry but that doesn’t stop it from having the occasional radiator issue. Whether it is a upgrade or repair it can be difficult to find reliable radiator parts and service for a Rolls Royce. Trust me, I know. I also know that repairs and maintenance must be up to date and efficient to these vehicles and the radiator is no different.

Essential to your Rolls Royce health, the radiator must be in tip-top condition and maintained at all times. Making repairs with pour in refurbishing fluids and sticky putty’s can only make your problem worse in the long run. Soldering is another technique often used that winds up with a bigger problem in the end and can cause injury in the process.

If you are considering a re-core, think again. They are often more, or as expensive as a new radiator. We have knowledgeable techs ready to help you whenever you need it 24 hours a day. You cannot beat our terms and conditions. We are proud of our extraordinary customer service. Help with your Rolls Royce radiator is a phone call away. Don’t make decisions about your glamorous, hard won automotive beauty without the benefit of our well-informed service techs. Take advantage of our free lifetime warranty and low price guarantee as well!

IDIOT OF THE WEEK:

Okay so I’m driving downtown to meet some of my friends for appetizers and beers. Specifically calamari. Damn I love that stuff. I had probably had calamari about 10 times before someone leaned over and told me, “Dude, you know that’s squid, right?” By that time it was too late. They could have told me it was made of old boots. I was already hooked. After all, it’s deep fried isn’t it? But I digress…

So I’m in my car (’97 Toyota Corolla baby!) and I’m climbing up levels in the parking garage. And this place is packed. Evidently, I wasn’t the only one with calamari on the brain because every spot was filled. I’m talking about “giant diesel turbo-charged trucks parked in the compact spots” packed. Frankly, I take exception to that. I’m pretty open to almost any type of vehicle parking in compact spots but you have to draw the line somewhere. When I see a turbocharged Cummins diesel giant parked in a compact spot, as a compact car driver I get a little offended! That’s like me being handicap and having to wait while you, a regular joe, stinks up my stall. You don’t need those handrails man! But I digress yet again.

So the dude in front of me comes to a stop. So I stop my little Toyota Corolla safely behind him assuming that he is waiting for someone to pull out. If only I had gotten there seconds earlier, I would have been the one waiting and would be closer to hot crispy calamari. Alas, it was not so.

All of a sudden the guy in front of me (who will hereafter be referred to as “dude”, throws his car into reverse and starts backing up for no apparent reason at all! I lay it on the horn but he’s coming back to fast and *CRUNCH!*. Dude nailed my beautiful Toyota Corolla. Getting out of the car I know that I am instantly in the market for some Toyota Corolla parts. Pushed in grill, broken headlights, and upon further inspection, one banged up Toyota Corolla radiator. Hooray.

Naturally, before I checked out my car I gave Dude the ol’ “What the hell were you doing?” to which he muttered, “I was just trying to get out of here.” Let’s stop and think about that for a second. Instead of using the designated exits, his course of logic told him to throw his car into reverse… and then back up really fact without looking in his mirror. That’s like being stuck in traffic and reversing on the freeway to the last exit you just missed. Or, in other words: it’s stupid. Really stupid.

So now I have a confession to make. Through this course of events, I learned that I really do love my Toyota Corolla. I mean, I talk bad about it to my friends who all have nicer cars, but that thing is tiny and fun to drive. I can pull off turns that no vehicle should be able to make. So I found myself in the position of wanting the highest quality Toyota Corolla parts. The insurance company gave me a check and I hit the road shopping. I started with the radiator. My first instinct was to head over to the dealer where they no doubt carry authentic Toyota radiators. And they do. They just cost more than a freakin’ plasma TV. I couldn’t believe my ears when they told me what they wanted for Toyota Corolla parts. I love my Corolla, but not THAT much.

So what next? I checked out a bunch of auto parts wholesale and auto parts warehouse places. They’re prices were still a little inflated, but the worst part was the 16 year olds behind the counter. I’m pretty sure that none of them had even heard of a Toyota Corolla before. Actually, I’m not sure any of them had even seen a car before. Okay, maybe that’s being a little extreme but I had no confidence that they would know enough to order me the right part. For example, they gave me a price without even asking me the year of the car. I may not be some mechanical guru, but I’m pretty sure somewhere in the evolution of Toyota Corolla parts they changed the design of the radiator at least once.

So I checked the phone book and came across a phone number. Radiator Hotline. It was like finding a nugget of gold in a pot of dirt. These guys asked me incredibly detailed questions, explained to my WHY they were asking me those questions, and sold me a discount Corolla radiator for half of where I had seen it anywhere else. And when I got this thing, it was put together better than the one I bought the car with! Not only that, but they checked into their database for me and helped me find a parts guy that they had a good relationship with. They got us both on the phone and introduced us and this guy ended up getting me the rest of my Toyota Corolla parts for next to nothing. And these were quality parts, mind you! I got my entire dilemma handled with one phone call!

The only real complaint I had with Radiator Hotline was their lack of calamari. Never did get to eat some of that.

That’s all for now.

-Geno

My brother in Portland recently bought a Honda Civic Hybrid. He called me to talk about his experience as I plan on my next car payment going towards a more fuel-efficient and environmentally conscious car. He knew I was in the aftermarket radiator business and the first thing he told me was that the Honda Civic radiator for his hybrid looked much like the a regular radiator and he asked me how changing fuel efficiency standards affected the radiator business.

I started to tell him how a replacement radiator is needed to cool most engines regardless of whether or not a gas engine was assisted by an electric motor when he tuned me out. “You know, I thought I’d get a few more looks from the ladies, especially some of the hippies out here but most people can’t tell this is a hybrid. I should have got the Prius,” he lamented. My suspicions that my brother’s purchase had less to do about the environment and more to do with his libido were confirmed. I told him an all aluminum Honda radiator might score with the ladies but he saw through my ploy to sell him a more expensive Honda part.

1-800-Radiator is currently in the process of expanding product line to include HVAC air parts, all of which will be in demand, even as state and federal legislators require the automotive industry to think ‘green.’

In 2003 I was teaching 6th graders in the Oakland CA Unified School District when I had an epiphany. I was cleaning a smeared Grape Jelly sandwich off of my chalkboard while admonishing a student who, while criticizing another student with a “Your Mom” joke had used a double negative, when it hit me. I really love teaching but there must be another way to make a living in California. The job hunt was on.

I am not good with cars. As a matter of fact, I’ve never changed my own oil, a tire and if truth be told, I do not even know how to program a radio station in our Volkswagen Jetta. I never saw myself in the auto parts industry, let alone working for the nation’s largest distributors of radiators, Radiator Warehouse. Yet at the end of the summer, I started learning about the difference between plastic tanks, radiator repair, when you need a new radiator and other car part components that help cool your car’s engine. Somehow I was able to parlay my experience teaching kids into a call center environment managing students of The Radiator.

I quickly came to realize how much radiators were in demand and found myself talking to friends and relatives about the difference in core measurement between a Chevy truck radiator and a Honda Civic radiator. As the company grew and eventually started franchising, I became more enthusiastic about the radiator market. Though I still miss the occasional “Your Mom” joke.