How does all this work? Well, on the way to Kalamazoo on a 95-degree day in a dark car with a black vinyl top, I got stopped dead in a traffic jam on I-80 for 2 hours. Ran the A/C, stayed cool inside and the mechanical temperature gauge never budged. The only clue I had was watching the ammeter kick up and down as the electric fans cycled on and off. I also had no problems on a 100-degree plus day driving around in St. Louis and then driving home on I-55 in the afternoon heat.

So I would say it worked pretty good. In my opinion it was worth every penny of the $217 it cost for the parts plus the $42 for the radiator testing. This did not include the normal expenses of antifreeze, new hoses, clamps, etc. that you would replace as part of routine maintenance anyway. It also does not include any additional wiring you may need. Keep in mind all the labor was “free”. I would expect to pay $900 - $1,200 if a professional shop did the work at typical labor rates.

Here is what the installation looks like when done:

You can see the twin electric fans mounted on the backside of the radiator and the stainless flex fan mounted to the water pump using a short spacer.

If you want to duplicate this set-up, it will take you approximately 4 – 6 hours of actual labor plus however long the shop has your radiator doing testing. Here is the parts list from Auto Zone:

221618 - 18 inch Stainless Flex Fan
733680 – Electric Fan (used a pair)
733647 – Electric Fan Thermostatic Control
Extra blade type heavy duty fuse holder with 25 amp fuse (only one provided with control)
About 10 feet of 12-gauge wire and a crimp type connector assortment

A living with it note 2 years later: the relay wore out on the thermostatic control above and Auto Zone couldn't seem to come up with just a replacement relay. Though some luck, I figured out that the low speed fan relay for a 2001 PT Cruiser was the same relay  and managed to get one for $5 from Advance Auto, their # R3177 (and also probably 3996786). So the next time I need one and can't remember the number, I can look here. 

If you don't want to go to the cost and labor involved in installing this electric and flex fan set-up, you might want to consider making a fan shroud out of some thin metal. I had previously created a shroud that worked pretty well.

 Photos of Homemade Fan Shroud

Finally, V-8 owners may have a bit less clearance. Here are some suggestions for V-8 owners. 

Note for V-8 Owners