Parts?

[afaz]

I searched and didn't find a thread that particularly covered this so...

On the premise that I know nothing about cars in general, let alone fixing them. I was wondering if I could garner any suggestions about where or who would have the best parts for my 90' Camry.

More specifically, an all metal radiator. The alternator went out on it about a week ago, thinking it was just old we (my car inept bf and I) replaced it and had a mechanic neighbor put it in. While he was putting that in, he noticed very quickly that the radiator was cracked and spurting and while carefully drivable would need to be replaced ASAP; otherwise there's a big risk of water hitting the alt and shorting it out again. I got extremely concerned. When I asked mechanic neighbor guy about what to look for, he highly suggested an all metal radiatior....no plastic end tanks, saying that plastics tend to crack and wear much quicker/easily. This recommendation was confirmed by a friends brother who is also a mech, independently.

The thing needs new tires, we already know that.
I'm unemployed, we don't have a ton of money to throw at this little grey repo replacement, but for the time being (a year or 4) it's paid off, no one can take it away, and it's all we've got, so I don't mind throwing a little $$$ into it.

So who has the best prices and quality brands...btw I'm in central FL, if your thinking brick and mortar, but I'll look at reputable online stores too.

[Zod]

Try eBay. I have sourced many parts for my 91 Camry from there, and beaten the store prices while doing so.
I paid $55 plus ship on a new radiator.

Best of luck!

[Jimnist]

Yes, there are two main types of radiators you can get. Copper rads with copper/brass top and bottom tanks. These tend to be more expensive because they can be fixed and are soldered together. Aluminium rads usually have plastic top and bottom tanks that are pressed onto the cores and sealed with large 'o-rings'. Once they start leaking, there's really no way to fix it; only replace.

I'm sure you have yellowpages, give a few local places a call and then give ebay a search. Sometimes, they'll match prices. If you're strapped for cash, you could get a good looking 2nd hand one from a wrecker, but it's a bit of a gamble.

P.S. I'd be more worried about your engine overheating (and causing more problems) than it shorting the alternator.