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View Full Version : Just got my Ron Davis radiator.........



John McIntire
05-22-2006, 05:15 PM
And boy is it a work of art!! I like everything except for that big blue stencil of Ron Davis across the front. Here are some pics:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://imageshack.us)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://imageshack.us)

trackrat79
05-23-2006, 11:02 AM
If you want the logo gone try spraying some laquer thinner over it then scrud it off with a scothbrite pad and maby some pipe cleaners.

tunerdude
05-23-2006, 03:24 PM
Nice...how much did that setup run you?

John McIntire
05-28-2006, 09:12 AM
954 shipped to my door

Richz68
05-30-2006, 04:54 AM
954 shipped to my door


We could have saved you 15%.........:ssst:

porschev8
05-31-2006, 11:52 AM
We could have saved you 15%.........:ssst:


Richz68,
You keep saying that you sell the same quality radiator but for less money....right?

I'm curious to see what he would have got from you for 15% less.

Let's see some pictures.

John McIntire
05-31-2006, 02:29 PM
I too would like to see some pictures. I've never heard of you or your company before.

Richz68
06-01-2006, 10:39 AM
Richz68,
You keep saying that you sell the same quality radiator but for less money....right?

I'm curious to see what he would have got from you for 15% less.

Let's see some pictures.


Tim,


First I want to say to you and everyone that Ron Davis radiators are built from the highest quality components and with the highest level of craftmanship.

Although our radiators are not as well known as RD they are of the same quality (we currently sell to builders that have used several radiator sources in the past). We source our cores, components & fans from the same suppliers that RD and a great number of other radiator builders. It is not that simple to claim to be the same quality. You could have two home builders source lumber & supplies from the same retailer and one house could come out horrible. I can say that our interaction and attention to detail from taking measurements and talking to the customer through the design process and finally during the build cannot be improved. Our radiators are spot on since we create a CAD drawing from the customers measurements and it is sent to the customer for their approval before the order is even placed. We then have a precise blueprinted drawing for the builder to reproduce. As longas everyone can use a tape measure and the builder can weld it is a cake walk. We have a 0% return rate concerning fit because of this process.

This is NOT an attempt to attack or discredit what RD offers. I have told customers that mention RD that RD produces a damn good product and I have never told them that ours is better. The truth is that our product simply cannot be better than a RD since the contents and the build process is basically the same. By the same token; there are a handfull of small independant shops out there with little or absolutely no overhead that can build one for far less than us with your guessed it; the same components for less money.

We offer our customers design & build features that RD doesn't, but RD offers a few features that we don't.

Just like anything in a retail environment; it simply boils down to what a customer wants, how quick they need it and how comfortable they are with spending their hard earned money with any particular company.

JamesJ
06-01-2006, 10:52 AM
The question is how much is piece of mind worth. He knows who RD is but not you, heck yours could be better.

Matt@RFR
06-01-2006, 12:32 PM
Rich, that was a polite and well thought out response, but I, for one, would still like to see pictures of your radiators. And not the tiny ones on your website...I'm talking full screen pictures and closeups of the welds and bracketry.

Richz68
06-01-2006, 12:41 PM
The question is how much is piece of mind worth. He knows who RD is but not you, heck yours could be better.

I completely agree...... as a consumer myself I do my homework about the products I buy before the sale. I have never made a hasty purchase and have saved thousands of dollars doing this. The down side is that it takes time to find the best deals. It drives my wife bonkers :rolleyes: like last summer when I took three months to find the absolute best mower I could for what money I wanted to spend. I found a mower that is not commonly known, and but mowers have a similar story. All of the different manufacturers use the same components (engine, transmissions, clutches, drives, spindles, etc.) but the differences are design, execution, features, warranty, support, etc. Here is my pride & joy......:cool:


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

porschev8
06-02-2006, 07:25 AM
Can we please see some pictures of your radiators?

aonghus
06-02-2006, 09:07 AM
Can we please see some pictures of your radiators?

:offtopic: yeah, way to dodge that one. We aren't shopping for mowers.

This is the wrong crowd to dance around the point with, people here for the most part don't just spend their cash on the claims of one company based on another company's reputation.


pictures, pictures, pictures, let your product speak for itself.

novanutcase
06-02-2006, 09:55 AM
Easy Guys! He's just trying to make a point! Be that as it may, you all have a good reason for asking for pictures. How many times have we heard claims from manufacturers only to find that those claims were inflated beyond reason and we get left with inferior product because someone wants to make a buck! So.....OK.....your product is comparable to your competitors?!? SHOW US WHY! I suggest that you post only pictures as Matt has suggested and let them do the talking!:smoke:

Jim68nC
06-02-2006, 10:00 AM
I will be in need of a radiator for my 68 Camaro and I have alot of time to make my decision on which one. Money isn't really a limiting factor for me, I will spend whatever I deem appropriate to get a quality part. I agree with others, show us what you are offering and provide the details necessary to compare.

aonghus
06-02-2006, 12:27 PM
Why be easy when he has been asked for 'proof' in the form of photos or otherwise several times? he keeps dancing around the point.

If you need to tout up a product and cannot bother to back it up, I either don't want to deal with you because you are not proffessional, or your product is hopped up garbage.

Show us what you've got, there isnt a whole lot that I know of about a radiator that can't be discerned from pictures as to the quality of its manufacture...

Richz68
06-02-2006, 01:50 PM
Guys,

I am not allowed to post pictures in the forum; nor is it my place to do so since we have not officially become a paying PT sponsor.

I have NEVER claimed to be better.... that is a blanket sales pitch. I believe in informing my customers and letting them decide what is right for them. I just talked a guy into a Summit Radiator(Northern) this morning.:secret:

I think everyone is quick to judge and that is fine, but I can tell you that you won't find a better business to deal with who cares about the industry(including our competitors) and most importantly our customers. Some of you are borderline insulting me and again that is understood, but before you make a decision in your mind as to what type of guy I am or what type of business I run take a minute to look at the website, call me or email your phone number to me and we can just talk cars.... I am not the "salesman" type. I would much rather talk about your car than make a sales pitch; this type of sales approach freaks people out initially. Sales should not be high pressure and sell-sell-sell. It should be informative & casual and let the customer make the decision. Some folks need more guidance than others, but they all should be treated the same.


BTW:

For those who want pics.... there are pictures of some of the radiators that we have designed & built in the past on the site.

Clsccmro
06-05-2006, 05:23 AM
If your radiators are comparable to Ron Davis radiators, it would only make sense to me that you would have much larger and much higher res images on your site to display the great quality. No one will ever know how great they are unless they get to see them in person or with better images. And there is no way that you should have made claims about being able to save anyone money, unless you give them a visual reason as to how you could save them money. It would be very simple for you to have high quality pictures taken of the high quality radiators you claim to manufacture. Also, if these radiators are that high of quality, you could get a lot of sales just from this site alone, and it's as easy as having a few nice photos taken.

Just my 2 cents...

porschev8
06-05-2006, 10:09 AM
Guys,

I am not allowed to post pictures in the forum; nor is it my place to do so since we have not officially become a paying PT sponsor.


Rich,
Send me the pictures and I'll post them for you! This way you can show everybody the quality of your part AND you won't get yourself in any trouble with P/T. I have already cleared it with site owner.

Richz68
06-06-2006, 05:27 AM
Well..... if it has been cleared with Larry; here goes.




For all of you fellow 1st gen Camaro guys; here is a polished first gen radiator that we just finished:....... :twothumbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

A few close up's of the welds:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


This is our SBC A-Body non-polished floor model display that's core has seen better days, but I hope you guys can see the welds good enough....:twothumbs

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


Lastly, here is a core support/radiator/fan assembly designed and built for 55-57 Chevy Cars.....:twothumbs


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

John McIntire
06-06-2006, 05:50 PM
looks good to me

porschev8
06-07-2006, 09:13 AM
Looks good but here is what sets us apart from the rest.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/06/6769SBCCamaroaluminumr-1.jpg

Beegs
06-07-2006, 09:52 AM
Yeh, I would say the Ron Davis piece has it over the other one. Details.

porschev8
06-07-2006, 10:00 AM
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/06/Q5-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/06/Q6-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/06/Q-1.jpg

Beegs
06-07-2006, 10:18 AM
Welds are incredible, beautiful unit!

Tim I have a Mark VIII fan for my rad. ( not mounted yet )
Do your twin fans move as much air as the Mark VIII fan?

I currently have a SBC 350 with plans for a 427 SBC
and I am sold on the Ron Davis rad when I make the swap.

Bryan in NH

Richz68
06-07-2006, 10:40 AM
Looks good but here is what sets us apart from the rest.



Tim,

With all due respect...... the RD Camaro radiator pictured above looks far better than our picture, but that is mainly due to the fact that we do not have the facilities or the personnel to take profession grade photos of our radiators at this point. We simply cannot keep them in stock long enough. We do not have a marketing manager or an advertising department...... yet.

The photo of the Camaro set up that you listed was actually taken by the fab shop just prior to shipment. As a matter of fact I had to photoshop a shop rag out of left side of the picture :hand:


The main thing that is striking about the RD product is that the design is done in an "over-the-top" fashion. Trust me it looks AWESOME. We have mounted two oversized fans over-lapping the side tanks like yours before, but interestingly enough we did not noticed a dramatic increase of efficiency although the larger fans offer more cfm's. This is probably more of a scientific issue than a logical one. Logically you would think that bigger fans mean bigger cfm's = better and that is true as long as they are allowed to perform as engineered. When a cylindrical design is shrouded it loses it capabilities to perform as intended. This observation reigns true for such things as exhaust tubing, fluid supply lines and commonly in engine cylinder scenarios. Since the side tanks shroud a substantial amount of the fans it seems to negate their ability to perform as advertised.

Again, I cannot stress this enough....... your product is as aesthetically pleasing as it gets. The RD build quality is as good as it gets. I don't want this to become a debate as to what is better or what is right or what is wrong, etc. I simply think that there are more than one or two factors in deciding which product is best for anyone whether it is a microwave, a diamond ring, a car part or even a lawnmower. :smoke:

I just took a call and we talked about how nice your product is.... this conversation happens all day long.

Matt@RFR
06-07-2006, 11:20 AM
With all due respect...... the RD Camaro radiator pictured above looks far better than our picture, but that is mainly due to the fact that we do not have the facilities or the personnel to take profession grade photos of our radiators at this point. We simply cannot keep them in stock long enough. We do not have a marketing manager or an advertising department...... yet.

Rich, for what it's worth, since Tim won't admit to this, I'll say it for him: He takes the pictures, he built their website (including all the html that makes it hit so well on search engines), he does all the advertising literature, he takes orders, and he IS the tech department.

Richz68
06-07-2006, 11:45 AM
Rich, for what it's worth, since Tim won't admit to this, I'll say it for him: He takes the pictures, he built their website (including all the html that makes it hit so well on search engines), he does all the advertising literature, he takes orders, and he IS the tech department.

Matt,


I know exactly who Tim was well before I took this postion. Here is a brief list of the hats I wear:



-PHONE TRAFFIC (QUOTES TO LONG BUILD LISTS)

-EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE (TO & FRO)

-AFTER-SALE CUSTOMER SUPPORT

-FAXES

-SALES

-RETURNS

-PACKAGING

-SHIPPING

-RECEIVING

-INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

-CREATING PO’S FOR VENDORS

-PRODUCT PRICING

-WEB CONTENT & DIRECTION

-WEB ARTWORK

-WEB CONTENT

-OFFICE SUPPLIES

-PACKAGING MATERIAL

-FILING

-MARKETING

-ADVERTISING

-EBAY ADS, SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

-GENERAL COMPUTER/INTERNET MANITENENCE

-GROUNDS KEEPING

-GENERAL JANITORIAL DUTIES


Fortunately for me we have an accountant and an IT guy who has just uploaded 650,000 unique part numbers.

As I mentioned previously we desgn the radiators and commision a builder to fabricate and build them to suit the customers needs. Tim has the ability to physically walk in the fab shop and take pics I can't...... well maybe on Sundays..... :hammer:


Anyway....... I've said it before and I'll say again & again and again. Anyone who asks or brings up quality radiators will hear this come out of my mouth......



"RD MAKES A BEAUTIFUL RADIATOR"......

Matt@RFR
06-07-2006, 12:13 PM
Easy now, I was just letting you know that Ron Davis Radiators is not a big company like you were alluding to. That's all.

porschev8
06-07-2006, 12:40 PM
Welds are incredible, beautiful unit!

Tim I have a Mark VIII fan for my rad. ( not mounted yet )
Do your twin fans move as much air as the Mark VIII fan?

I currently have a SBC 350 with plans for a 427 SBC
and I am sold on the Ron Davis rad when I make the swap.

Bryan in NH


Thanks Bryan.
I'm pretty sure the Mark VIII fan pulls more air than these two 13" Spal fans.

porschev8
06-07-2006, 01:13 PM
I just asked to see a few detailed pictures of the product that was being advertised as "the same quality".

Richz68
06-07-2006, 01:34 PM
Matt,



No offense taken at all ...... I don't want anyone to think I am trying to discredit anyone or anything here. I was a member here long before I took this job.:cool:



Tim,

I would think that most can tell that RD offers a great product. I never wanted to debate the meaning of life or to come to the whole "show me yours and I'll show you mine".

Just took the second call today in which I mentioned that RD makes one hell of a radiator, but we do too.

130fe
06-12-2006, 06:11 AM
I am in the process of ordering a radiator from Rich's company. I am still waiting for it but I will say that Rich's customer service has been good so far. He returns calls in a timely manner. I will say it is nice to talk to someone who knows all of the specifics of your order and not just a generic customer service rep who just knows you as order #XYZ. I did not want an "out of the box universal type radiator". I wanted one built to MY specifications and that was what was important to me. I will say that the total price is cheaper than some of the high end companies Be-Cool, Ron Davis. I am not knocking those companies at all because they sell a very nice product. When I called Be-Cool, they didn't seem too interested in building a "custom" one for me, just wanting to sell me one that I would have to modify for my install. The RD one was too far our of my budget would allow. BTW Rich, any word on the delivery time of mine? I will post some pictures when I recieve it.

Richz68
06-13-2006, 08:33 AM
any word on the delivery time of mine? I will post some pictures when I recieve it.


I really appreciate the kind words; your radiator will be done in the next day or two. We upgraded the core size at no charge for your troubles. It will have been worth the wait. :cool:

lil zl1
06-13-2006, 03:55 PM
I fully intended to buy a Ron Davis Radiator for my project 69. This was primarily based on the fact that the race car I have has one of his radiators and the performance has been impeccable. I called them and they were very condescending and conceited about their product. Then i got them to quote a price on the 69 radiator with the expansion tank and an fittings at the hose junctures. I was quoted $1340.00 delivered. After further research I found and bought a radiator off ebay from Chuck at Superior Radiator in Mt Clemens, Mi.
I got the same radiator core with an aluminum shroud with one large fan instead of 2. In addition i got the an fittings welded on as requested and the fan relay with that, with shipping the total was $595.00. This was a no brainer for me and the quality is excellent.

68fusion
06-14-2006, 03:28 AM
We have delt with RD on many occasions...both custom and off-shelf and fit and quality have been second to none. Other than a issue with a front runner system on a big block chev hitting the fans no probs. Not knocking the Srs radiators cause I haven't seen them in person nor do I know how they perform....but what their background in the biz? any comp experience? tech experience? I know RD has LOTS of time behind the ductwork of many a race car. So from racing come better technology for cooling...I Know most of the street stuff is ( shrouds and catch tanks ect.) for looks ...but it still has to cool the damn car!

porschev8
06-15-2006, 08:48 PM
I fully intended to buy a Ron Davis Radiator for my project 69. This was primarily based on the fact that the race car I have has one of his radiators and the performance has been impeccable. I called them and they were very condescending and conceited about their product. Then i got them to quote a price on the 69 radiator with the expansion tank and an fittings at the hose junctures. I was quoted $1340.00 delivered. After further research I found and bought a radiator off ebay from Chuck at Superior Radiator in Mt Clemens, Mi.
I got the same radiator core with an aluminum shroud with one large fan instead of 2. In addition i got the an fittings welded on as requested and the fan relay with that, with shipping the total was $595.00. This was a no brainer for me and the quality is excellent.


I'm very sorry the salesman left that kind of impression on you. Do you remember who you spoke to?

Coursey
06-04-2010, 09:41 AM
I'm very sorry the salesman left that kind of impression on you. Do you remember who you spoke to?


I have been waiting for Ron Davis to return an email to me that i sent a week ago, about qouting a 1966 Nova Radiator.

Is Ron Davis hard to deal with?

Should i go somewhere else?

1969CamaroRS
06-04-2010, 12:13 PM
Always easy to deal with here. I called them a couple times for some pre sales questions and post sales always got good service.

AZSaleen04
06-09-2010, 04:43 PM
I've also emailed RD over a week ago and no response. I did end up calling and was qupted a price for a 70 Chevelle LS3. At this point I'm going to keep looking as it was almost $1200 out the door.

Coursey
06-09-2010, 06:03 PM
I've also emailed RD over a week ago and no response. I did end up calling and was qupted a price for a 70 Chevelle LS3. At this point I'm going to keep looking as it was almost $1200 out the door.


RD was going to be 1040 for my nova.

I would try PRC, they were $800 for the nova.

Coursey
06-09-2010, 06:20 PM
Ron Davis $1040 w/ 2-11" Spal

Afco $800 w/ 1 - 16" Miridane

PRC $800 w/ 1 - 16" Spal

I think i may use an external heat sink type trans cooler.


I am leaning toward the PRC unit.


Does anyone have any experince with these three radiators/fan setups?


Would any of these setups be better for a 400-450 HP 383 CI w/ vintage air?

AZSaleen04
06-15-2010, 10:39 AM
Ron Davis $1040 w/ 2-11" Spal

Afco $800 w/ 1 - 16" Miridane

PRC $800 w/ 1 - 16" Spal

I think i may use an external heat sink type trans cooler.


I am leaning toward the PRC unit.


Does anyone have any experince with these three radiators/fan setups?


Would any of these setups be better for a 400-450 HP 383 CI w/ vintage air?


I would like to know this as well.

ErikLS2
06-16-2010, 12:39 PM
Check with Frank at Prodigy Customs. He has a killer dual fan setup with a relay kit for under $1k

MuscleRodz
06-16-2010, 03:57 PM
We sell and use the PRC units all the time. Never a complaint and never a heat problem. They are around $950 shipped complete

AZSaleen04
06-16-2010, 05:29 PM
If they are both around $1,000 what is the advantage to the PRC unit vs. Ron Davis?

esenior
07-02-2010, 07:36 PM
I've also emailed RD over a week ago and no response. I did end up calling and was qupted a price for a 70 Chevelle LS3. At this point I'm going to keep looking as it was almost $1200 out the door.

I called Ron Davis about 2 years ago to discuss having a custom radiator/fan setup made for my 69 Camaro. The person I talked to was rude and short and didn't seem to have the time to talk to me. They may have a great looking product, but I ended up buying elsewhere. Doesn't sound like a lot has changed.

Charley Lillard
07-02-2010, 08:55 PM
I have the Ron Davis in Jackass with the two fans and the LS9 has never gotten hot. Heat just isn't a issue anymore and after years of having to watch temp gauges in old cars this is nice being able to ignore that gauge. I had a Ron Davs radiator leak in The Red Witch and they fixed it no charge and covered the freight. They were very friendly...That is my 2 cents.

Larry Callahan
07-02-2010, 09:41 PM
I'm sporting not only a Ron Davis radiator with dual spals but also a Ron Davis intercooler in front of that. Sandwiched in between those is an older style vintage air tube style condenser and I can't make heat in MotiV8r. I need to install a thermostat eventually. On cold mornings I can't get it to run over 150-160.

Sitting in stop and go traffic in over 100f weather for over an hour it peaked at 192

That's not to say another radiator would not do that but like Charley said, it's nice to not have that to worry about.

esenior
07-03-2010, 08:00 AM
I'm sporting not only a Ron Davis radiator with dual spals but also a Ron Davis intercooler in front of that. Sandwiched in between those is an older style vintage air tube style condenser and I can't make heat in MotiV8r.

Funny you should mention it....it was the post of your intercooler in your build thread (https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42538&page=4) back in 2008 that originally prompted me to call them. Beautiful setup!

Larry Callahan
07-03-2010, 11:51 AM
Thanks!

no bags
07-03-2010, 06:54 PM
...............No issues and great people to work with. I think they have worked long and hard to establish their name and product.Like Charlie stated, its nice not to have to monitor that temp guage anymore, and wondered if it still works because it never moves off 180 degrees!

Bob

newmexicosaint
07-04-2010, 07:02 PM
My 2 cents...Ron Davis is known for their high quality products and the pics prove that. As a business owner who desires to have the best products WITH the best customer service but the fact is that we cannot do everything ourselves and we can't stand over the shoulder of all our employees either. Sometimes our staff has bad days or just bad moments in the day and so I would suggest to all trying to make a decision to take the negative with a grain of salt. If you have the same issues with a CSR a SECOND time then I would certainly not knock you for not using them and would encourage you to inform the company (because they can't fix a problem if they don't know about it) and inform the forum if they don't fix it or respond.

I personally am a FAN of great customer service and want to know when my people 'miss it'

BTW -my radiator came from Chad at Fletchers Customs...he gave me a smokin' deal on a Radiator/core support/fans/ AC condensor/ digital controller/ cap/ tranny cooler from AUTORAD.

Chads customer Service was among the best I have EVER experienced, period!!