Radiator replacement..?

Question

first of all, when do you know your radiator is broken?
i recently got into a minor accident and rear-ended some guy infront of me.. fronts banged up and my hood collapsed, but its not terrifying under the hood...

when i hit the car infront of me, the radiator support got knocked back and gave my radiator a punch.. when i looked at it, one of the brackets connecting the radiator and the radiator support bar popped off the radiator when the punch happened, so i think that saved the radiator from snapping in half or damaging...

the radiator is slightly angled like / that... but nothing is neccessarily broken...

should i replace it? After the accident, i drove in 10 minutes home and it was fine, it ran like any other day (most of the damage was headlight/hood/radiator support/?radiator?)

Secondly, how do i know a good radiator from a crap radiator?
.. whats better.. metal or OE plastic...

(trying to keep cost down.. plz)

THANKS FOR THE HELP.

http://replacement.autopartswarehouse.com/parts/autopartswarehouse/wizard.jsp?year=1996&make=TO&model=CAM-3-002&part=Radiator&dp=true&appTransmissionType=Automatic

lol, Puregori..

i appreciate your help and all.. but i must say...

I am a guy.. 18 years old.. and im not gay.. so i don't have a boyfriend.. =x

and i do know what i'm doing, i'm doing all the repairs myself and i'm paying for everything with my wallet with the job i work 30-35 hours a week doing, ontop of school..

i'm not like some 16 year old that came home and was like "daaaaa-aaad, i think i made a boo-boo.. i accidently rammed into some guys truck while i was putting on my mascara"
no.. lol

i'm no expert, but i have a good idea of what im doing when it comes to cars..
i'm just wondering, since theres no real VISIBLE damage on the radiator..if there could be some other problems later or w/e..

ive already installed an Alpine amp in my car and i've replaced the speakers in my car with Pioneers... JL audio/Premier 10" subs to come (rock > rap)

I appreciate the effort though -D

Answer 1

If it is not leaking (look for wet areas where antifreeze might be leaking out) then it most likely is okay. The only thing not clear is the bracket you mentioned. It could have weakened the radiator so a leak could develop later. A dealer / service dept. could pressure check it to be sure it is up to par because you don't want to save money now only to be stranded on the road later.

BTW - plastic vs metal really not an issue these days. Plastic technology has improved greatly and chances are no matter where you would purchase a radiator (if you need one) it would be made the same from the same materials.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

Keep an eye on the temp in your car and the coolant. If you are going to replace it, it's better to get plastic because it wont corrode like metal. Junk yards are cheap, but you can also buy them from the shop directly, reconditioned. Just make sure you go to reputable place, since you don't know what you are looking at. Have your dad look at it, or your boyfriend.

Answer 3

if you didnt see a puddle of green or red (depending on the year and model), you dont have a problem, just take care of the body work.