Where can I get an OEM thermostat for a 1974 Chevy C10 with a 454?

[SirRobyn0]

Hopefully they are not motorad in AC Delco boxes

That's a really good question. IDK what the deal is with motorad, they have always been crappy. When they bought out stant I thought they'd improve, but now the stant name is gone and motorad is the same poor quality, although now motorad is much easier to find . Murray thermostats are reboxed motorads. Napas economy stats are reboxed motorads and the premiums are Altrom's, I know they make a lot of OEM parts for German cars, so I'd probably trust an Altrom stat, certainly I'd trust it over motorad. I can get gates thermostats at the shop and is what we have been using, but I really have no idea how easy they are to get retail.

And then caps! I use to love Stant caps, now what? I've tested the release pressure on a lot of new caps to find them below spec. Again if you can find a Gates cap they seem to be pretty good.

 

[DoubleDingo]

That's a really good question. IDK what the deal is with motorad, they have always been crappy. When they bought out stant I thought they'd improve, but now the stant name is gone and motorad is the same poor quality, although now motorad is much easier to find . Murray thermostats are reboxed motorads. Napas economy stats are reboxed motorads and the premiums are Altrom's, I know they make a lot of OEM parts for German cars, so I'd probably trust an Altrom stat, certainly I'd trust it over motorad. I can get gates thermostats at the shop and is what we have been using, but I really have no idea how easy they are to get retail.

And then caps! I use to love Stant caps, now what? I've tested the release pressure on a lot of new caps to find them below spec. Again if you can find a Gates cap they seem to be pretty good.

I'll keep an eye out for Gates. I have switched to Gates on a lot of things that I used to get a known name brand part for. I was glad to see Gates making various parts. I did not know they did until the last year or two, and they are a known name brand.

 

[fast 99]

AC is re-boxing parts like many other brands.

 

[82sbshortbed]

Well, op did you find one? Lol

 

[SirRobyn0]

AC is re-boxing parts like many other brands.

This is true, but this is always my quandary on reboxed parts. Are they built to the same specifications? We know Wix makes both Napa filter lines and carquest filters and Microgard, but we also know from independent oil filter test that they are not all the same. Wix branded filters and the Napa premium line might be the same, but we know Napa's economy filters, Carquest and microgard are different from Napa branded, and not the same within each other either. So is a motorrad thermostat in a Napa box the same? Or is it made to different specifications? I don't think anyone of use knows for sure, when I think about cardone it seems like the same poor quality across the board so who knows. But I like to think, and I could be completely wrong, but I like the think AC Delco boxed parts are being made to ACDelco specs, but who knows!

 

[fast 99]

This is true, but this is always my quandary on reboxed parts. Are they built to the same specifications? We know Wix makes both Napa filter lines and carquest filters and Microgard, but we also know from independent oil filter test that they are not all the same. Wix branded filters and the Napa premium line might be the same, but we know Napa's economy filters, Carquest and microgard are different from Napa branded, and not the same within each other either. So is a motorrad thermostat in a Napa box the same? Or is it made to different specifications? I don't think anyone of use knows for sure, when I think about cardone it seems like the same poor quality across the board so who knows. But I like to think, and I could be completely wrong, but I like the think AC Delco boxed parts are being made to ACDelco specs, but who knows!

Have had good luck with AC parts even though box says china, korea, ect. Yeah, who knows for sure. I bought 2 window regulators one was ac other was dorman. They were identical down to the plating color. Both made in china.