Aluminum Radiator Nightmare!

[3C's & a D?]

I think what he's saying is, the gap between the tank and radiator support looks the same from left to right.

Yep, that's exactly what he is saying. I'm saying that there is a possibility that it is not.

 

[Mudeblue]

The plastic wrap makes it hard to see, but it looks like it's nice and close on the driver side, and there's a gap on the passenger side. I can't imagine why that would be as most (all that I've seen) rad supports, are flat across the hole.

This makes me wonder if it's a manufacturing defect. In this case both brackets should be 3 1/2", other models use 4"? One bracket got mixed in with the others, and the welder didn't notice?

Whatever the case, it won't be hard to fix, for a good welder. It does stink to find out, and have to go through though. The welding job will likely be less than polishing another tank.

Problem is, I am having the restoration done professionally so you pay to have everything put in, discover the problem, pay to take everything out, pay to have it remanufactured and then pay to have everything put back in! If known up front, it could have been manufactured to the correct specifications and not advertised as “also fitting a 1965 Sport Fury!”

 

[3C's & a D?]

Problem is, I am having the restoration done professionally so you pay to have everything put in, discover the problem, pay to take everything out, pay to have it remanufactured and then pay to have everything put back in! If known up front, it could have been manufactured to the correct specifications and not advertised as “also fitting a 1965 Sport Fury!”

I feel your frustration. Thank you for bringing this issue to light, so others may learn. I always have the originals recored. I must say, for an aftermarket aluminum radiator, that one has a gorgeous top tank! Most of them are just square bent aluminum.

Patience and perseverance. And pay...

 

[saforwardlook]

I do not know if the Better Business Bureau operates in Arizona as it does in California, but I would file a complaint with them. I was surprised that when I did that over a company that kept me waiting 5 years to deliver the ordered part, and just gave me b.s. every time I asked for an update, that one BBB complaint caused the owner of the company to personally call me about finally getting my part, and shortly thereafter I did finally receive what I had ordered. Honestly, I was very surprised that such a complaint got the company's attention so fast.

But thanks for making us aware of the difficulty in trying to work with Jeggs, as I will never use them personally again and rely on Summit or the like instead.

This thread also seems to indicate Jegs is a company whose customer service is poor...........................

My own little views on Summit vs. Jegs - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

 

[jim almond]

how did you pay Jeg's? if by atm/credit card dispute charges with card co, let Jeg's clean up their messes.

 

[Mudeblue]

Saga continues! Received an explanation from Griffin via the Arizona Attorney General.

This was a full off frame restoration with many parts purchased. Unfortunately, many vendors advertise their parts will fit 65 SF or a C Body when in fact they don't. Interestingly and after the fact, you discover many of them don't even know what a C Body is or that the 64 was a B body that then went to a C Body in 65. Having paid $844 for this radiator and then JEG's telling me to contact Griffin, called ahead while I was on the phone, then gave me a name at Griffin to contact who denied the claim I decided that enough was enough. I contacted the Arizona Attorney General who handles these matters in Arizona who then contacted Griffin. Griffin responded to their inquiry with explaining their reason for denial which included several reasons including 1) the return need to go through JEG's and not them even though it was drop shipped from themselves (which I did and which JEG's as previously stated), 2) It was made in accordance with their (Griffin's drawing), 3) the radiator had been modified because it was polished, 4) the radiator should have been fitted (installed) before it was polished (install the radiator, take it out, polish and then reinstalled) and 5) it could not be resold because it had been modified (interestingly other vendors provide that service for a premium price).

My position on this is that the radiator was advertised as fitting a 65 SF to OEM specifications and it was not. Contrary to Griffin's assertion that it "was built to their drawing." If in fact their drawings were to OEM specifications, one bracket would not be 4 inches and the other would be 3 1/2 inches. My old radiator is an OEM and each bracket was 3 1/2 inches which is further supported from pictures from their own web site! "Exactfit" is what they call this model of radiator! This could easily be verified if they would provide a copy of their drawings to support their assertion. Another issue with the radiator was the holes in the bracket were placed wrong location. However, this is easily overcome and not an show stopper. In reality, either their drawing is wrong, which is doubtful because that error should have been caught a long time ago given they have a part number for this radiator. Most likely, the wrong bracket was welded on to the radiator at which point the radiator has a manufacturing defect. The fact that it was polished was irrelevant because that became part of the installation process when the was defect was discovered.

At no time during my correspondence with Griffin was a resolution offered or was advice offered. Rather, their demeanor was and is, how do we deny this claim and stick the customer. This is an $844 radiator that won't fit anything without being re-manufactured. You pay a premium price for what they advertise as a premium product and one would expect you would get premium service. Obviously not the case with Griffin. Under Arizona process of filing a claim, I have 30 to respond to Griffin's explanation. I will be doing in the next several days.

I am posting this comment with the hope I can help someone else avoid a similar situation.

 

[3175375]

Saga continues! Received an explanation from Griffin via the Arizona Attorney General.

This was a full off frame restoration with many parts purchased. Unfortunately, many vendors advertise their parts will fit 65 SF or a C Body when in fact they don't. Interestingly and after the fact, you discover many of them don't even know what a C Body is or that the 64 was a B body that then went to a C Body in 65. Having paid $844 for this radiator and then JEG's telling me to contact Griffin, called ahead while I was on the phone, then gave me a name at Griffin to contact who denied the claim I decided that enough was enough. I contacted the Arizona Attorney General who handles these matters in Arizona who then contacted Griffin. Griffin responded to their inquiry with explaining their reason for denial which included several reasons including 1) the return need to go through JEG's and not them even though it was drop shipped from themselves (which I did and which JEG's as previously stated), 2) It was made in accordance with their (Griffin's drawing), 3) the radiator had been modified because it was polished, 4) the radiator should have been fitted (installed) before it was polished (install the radiator, take it out, polish and then reinstalled) and 5) it could not be resold because it had been modified (interestingly other vendors provide that service for a premium price).

My position on this is that the radiator was advertised as fitting a 65 SF to OEM specifications and it was not. Contrary to Griffin's assertion that it "was built to their drawing." If in fact their drawings were to OEM specifications, one bracket would not be 4 inches and the other would be 3 1/2 inches. My old radiator is an OEM and each bracket was 3 1/2 inches which is further supported from pictures from their own web site! "Exactfit" is what they call this model of radiator! This could easily be verified if they would provide a copy of their drawings to support their assertion. Another issue with the radiator was the holes in the bracket were placed wrong location. However, this is easily overcome and not an show stopper. In reality, either their drawing is wrong, which is doubtful because that error should have been caught a long time ago given they have a part number for this radiator. Most likely, the wrong bracket was welded on to the radiator at which point the radiator has a manufacturing defect. The fact that it was polished was irrelevant because that became part of the installation process when the was defect was discovered.

At no time during my correspondence with Griffin was a resolution offered or was advice offered. Rather, their demeanor was and is, how do we deny this claim and stick the customer. This is an $844 radiator that won't fit anything without being re-manufactured. You pay a premium price for what they advertise as a premium product and one would expect you would get premium service. Obviously not the case with Griffin. Under Arizona process of filing a claim, I have 30 to respond to Griffin's explanation. I will be doing in the next several days.

Unbelievable!
I am truly sorry about your crummy situation and hope that you are rewarded with a refund.

 

[Mudeblue]

Saga continues! Received an explanation from Griffin via the Arizona Attorney General.

This was a full off frame restoration with many parts purchased. Unfortunately, many vendors advertise their parts will fit 65 SF or a C Body when in fact they don't. Interestingly and after the fact, you discover many of them don't even know what a C Body is or that the 64 was a B body that then went to a C Body in 65. Having paid $844 for this radiator and then JEG's telling me to contact Griffin, called ahead while I was on the phone, then gave me a name at Griffin to contact who denied the claim I decided that enough was enough. I contacted the Arizona Attorney General who handles these matters in Arizona who then contacted Griffin. Griffin responded to their inquiry with explaining their reason for denial which included several reasons including 1) the return need to go through JEG's and not them even though it was drop shipped from themselves (which I did and which JEG's as previously stated), 2) It was made in accordance with their (Griffin's drawing), 3) the radiator had been modified because it was polished, 4) the radiator should have been fitted (installed) before it was polished (install the radiator, take it out, polish and then reinstalled) and 5) it could not be resold because it had been modified (interestingly other vendors provide that service for a premium price).

My position on this is that the radiator was advertised as fitting a 65 SF to OEM specifications and it was not. Contrary to Griffin's assertion that it "was built to their drawing." If in fact their drawings were to OEM specifications, one bracket would not be 4 inches and the other would be 3 1/2 inches. My old radiator is an OEM and each bracket was 3 1/2 inches which is further supported from pictures from their own web site! "Exactfit" is what they call this model of radiator! This could easily be verified if they would provide a copy of their drawings to support their assertion. Another issue with the radiator was the holes in the bracket were placed wrong location. However, this is easily overcome and not an show stopper. In reality, either their drawing is wrong, which is doubtful because that error should have been caught a long time ago given they have a part number for this radiator. Most likely, the wrong bracket was welded on to the radiator at which point the radiator has a manufacturing defect. The fact that it was polished was irrelevant because that became part of the installation process when the was defect was discovered.

At no time during my correspondence with Griffin was a resolution offered or was advice offered. Rather, their demeanor was and is, how do we deny this claim and stick the customer. This is an $844 radiator that won't fit anything without being re-manufactured. You pay a premium price for what they advertise as a premium product and one would expect you would get premium service. Obviously not the case with Griffin. Under Arizona process of filing a claim, I have 30 to respond to Griffin's explanation. I will be doing in the next several days.

I am posting this comment with the hope I can help someone else avoid a similar situation.

Still fighting the battle with Griffin after 3 rounds via the Arizona AG. Griffin’s latest excuse is that I further modified the radiator by removing the incorrect brackets and replacing them, this is after, of course, they had refused to offer resolution because my polishing the top prevented them from replacing the side brackets on three occasions???? I contacted JEGS a third time with a formal review/complaint and got a response stating “it did not meet our website guidelines!” I did not use and derogatory comments or language and one would think that they would have commented on the problem itself! Apparently, JEGS has a problem of making negative comments about a vendor but has no problem letting their vendors, or for that matter themselves, be dishonest with customers. These two organizations are unbelievable! “Customer service” and “stand behind our products” are apparently not in their vernacular! The battle continues.

 

[57fury440]

The right thing for them to do was to send you the correct radiator. At the very least, they should have offered to do whatever was required to make the one you have fit properly. The bad customer service is not doing them any good. I hope you come out on top on this issue.

 

[Mudeblue]

The right thing for them to do was to send you the correct radiator. At the very least, they should have offered to do whatever was required to make the one you have fit properly. The bad customer service is not doing them any good. I hope you come out on top on this issue.

The sad part is, it would have only required removing the wrong bracket and replacing it with the right bracket rather taking the time and energy to deny correct baled claim. One would also think JEGS would be concerned about their own reputation given the large number of products they offer. I know JEGS won’t be on my future parts acquisition list!

 

[Gerald Morris]

I have no helpful words but am curious... Are radiators the same between b and c bodies in '65?

Look and see if there were ANY 26" radiators in 1965. I don't think so.

All that BS from Jegs and Griffin both just gets used to screw customers, which they agree to do among themselves. Typical consumer crapitalism folks! I suggest you get a radiator from ECP, directly. Watson makes a good aluminum radiator, if that's what you want. I doubt if anything you do with the screw job from JEGS/Griffin will reclaim the radiator investment. Sell what you got on eBay, to reclaim as much of your $ as you can.