Courtesy Nissan Silicon Radiator Hoses

By Shell Black

One of the last projects that I was trying to accomplish before the 1999 National SE-R Convention was to have some custom red silicon hoses fabricated to finish off the engine bay. I had a chance to discuss my idea with Steve Richardson, Parts Manager at Courtesy Nissan here in Dallas and fellow SR20DE owner. Steve loved the idea and soon had a set of OEM donor hoses at the manufacturer to have the molds made. Courtesy paid all the R&D and production costs to bring to market the Silicon Radiator Hoses that you see here - now available in red, yellow, and blue. The hoses should retail around $150. Courtesy Nissan can be reached at: 800/527-1909 or 972/644-3942.

The set you see below are prototypes to check quality and ensure the hoses fit properly. The other prototype (in blue) went on Steve's personal car. Mike Kojima of Sports Compact Car has evaluated the hoses as well on his famous 200SX. Though the donor hoses were for the B13, Mike has confirmed that the hoses fit fine on the 200SX as well and will be featured in an upcoming SCC article. This is a nice addition to the other products that Courtesy has brought to market, including strut tower braces, mandrel bent stainless cat back exhausts, short shifters, and a ton of SE-R apparel.

Unfortunately delays in manufacturing prevented the prototypes from arriving in time for installation before the trip to the National Convention.

	Beefy pieces. The hoses fit tight and snug. They do not deflect (pinch down) as much as the OEM hoses when tightening the clamps.
	Side by side comparison of the lower radiator hoses. OEM vs new Courtesy Nissan Silicon hose. As you can see the bends and angles came out great. The water inlet can be seen on the ground below.
	Side by side comparison of the upper radiator hose. The quality appears great and the ends are cut clean. I suspect they will last the life of the vehicle.
	One last comparison. Looks good - let's put them on!
	Lower radiator hose installed from the top.
	Lower radiator hose as seen from beneath the car. Bends are right on and fit without fuss.
	Upper hose installed. The overflow bottle gets it's own silicon hose (that's another write up). The overflow bottle has been cleaned with solvents and a trip to the car wash so the inside could be pressure washed to remove the old sediment. The bottle came clean but it has some slight discoloration. Some folks might just opt to by a new one. Did you notice the water outlet on the block and the a/c lines have been polished? See Ultimate SE-R Engine Detailing for more info.
	The finished product. The red hoses work well with the other accents under the hood.
	Another view of the engine bay with the hoses on the car.