Desert cooling radiator option 1966

[deathsled]

........... As an addendum to Herr Speegle's earlier post, the lettering and numbers on that rad are indented with a negative space whereas the numbers on these two in this post are raised.

Could you help me find where I posted that the markings on the top or side strap were indented?

Thanks - If I did write that it needed to be corrected and not how the examples I posted were, marked

Thanks for adding another example of this fairly rare (not very popular) option for Mustangs to the thread. Think this is the first time I've seen one on a Dearborn built early Mustang

You didn't write that they were indented. Only looked so from one of the photos. Either way, unpopular or not, my question pends in my mind: How effective were they?

[deathsled]

Screw it.  I am going to install the thing.  What am I saving it for?  The afterlife?  It will likely end up on the rubbish heap somewhere, unappreciated.  So I will use it up.  Rads can be rebuilt anyway, right?  It will outlast me I am sure, given the number of miles I drive the red and gold one.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Always amazed Ford didn't use maximum strength radiators for all their HiPo Mustangs. Always seemed to go with the bare minimum to get the job done.

Today Ford breaks down parts prices to a 1/100 of a cent. When you build a million of something it adds up so you are right they use the minimum to get the job done. We spoke to a Ford engineer one time an he said material costs averaged $1.00 per pound. Steel was cheap, aluminum, glass, plastics, leather higher. He said it cost about a million to re-engineer a part, material or process to take 1 pound out of a car. The weight penalty for the CAFE is big enough that cutting weight is a priority.
When they developed the 05 Mustang there was a big meeting on the oil gauge. Most of the gauges in new cars operate like idiot lights even though they have a needle and scale. To have an actual analog gauge rather than just an on/off switch cost 2 cents more per car. The real gauge finally won out due to Mustang being a "drivers car". That took $20,000 off the profit sheet for the first million D2C Mustangs. Doesn't sound like much in the overall picture but it all adds up to money for the stockholder.
BTW: There are already some F150 prototypes doing durability tests with unibody construction - like the new Maverick.