Questions and Answers

Black Radiators Q. Why are Radiators painted black? Does it really matter?

A. I don't know why they are painted black in particular, but I do know that it is a heat resistant paint.

I did call three radiator repair shops and asked them why they were always painted black and one old timer told me it was traditional, dating back to the Ford Model A. He told me that since the only color available was black, and the radiators were so prominent, they were painted black as well to match the rest of the car.

Now I don't know how true this is, but I do know the term "tune-up" originated from the Model T also.

Does it matter what color they are painted? I guess they can be painted any color. I don't see where the color would effect the cooling system performance.

Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA