Anyone Paint Their Radiator

[special-K]

Aluminum is a superconductor. The OEMs are painted and keep the truck cool. While you may sacrifice some degree of dissipation, it certainly won't be any noticeable amount and will still be greater than OEM. Pretty much like a layer of road grime or other outside the laboratory debris.

Critics always said chroming engine parts on your Harley will retain heat, but my chromed out Harleys have never run hot. Harley started putting black wrinkle finish on the cylinders that are aluminum with cooling fins, pretty much the sole source of cooling other than oil since they are air-cooled. I prefer raw burnished aluminum because that is traditional and that's what I'm into. But obviously Harley has no issues with heat from the thicker than paint coating or they'd be bankrupt. I really don't think it matters.

Keep shiny stuff shiny... that you want to see. I want to see the most important piece of trim in it's full glory, the grille not the background. I have also sandblasted chrome parts on my Harley, like oil tank and rear fender struts, and painted them black (bike is black) to hide them and to better frame the shiny motor and allow the desired chrome work to stand out better.