Quote:
Originally Posted by ford38v8
Henry, Why not leave out your thermostats altogether and use a radiator cover till the engine warms up in the morning?
Or... you could install a pair of big brass gate valves with shiny red handles!  |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Henry
I've tried that. I'm not vigilant enough to watch the temperature gauge to know when to stop and take the cardboard out so I end up overheating in the winter. As I've said in response to this same suggestion before, the way I drive climbing up the steep side of a mountain and then down the other steep side, I'd have to be vigilamt enough to remember to stop and take the cardboard out at the bottom of the mountain and then stop again and put it back in at the top not to mention all of the shorter but still lengthy ups and downs on both sides. I don't like to see my temperature gauge go from 200 to 100 in a matter of minutes - can't be good for the engine I wouldn't think. So, I opted for Henry's idea - thermostats. Crazy idea I know but there you have it. 
The manual valves would be even more work than the cardboard.  |
Back about 1960 a neighbor had a '57 brand X that he brought down from Canada. A heavy material roller shade was fitted to the front of the radiator. A system of pulleys allowed the pull cord to be run in to the passenger compartment. This arrangement allowed full control of the air flow through the radiator by the driver. Sort of like a manual version of the radiator dampers on diesels.