Maybe someone can help me with this question... I,m replacing the radiator hoses on my 68 bird. The old lower hose had a spring in it. The new one I just bought doesn't. Is it necessary to have the spring in the lower hose to stop it from collapsing? If so, where do I get a hose with a spring in it? The old spring is unusable. Can anyone help me with this question...?

I think most people just reuse the old spring. I've never had one in mine to date and it's never been an issue so I am not sure how important it really is...

I always reuse the spring when I can. If you are diligent with replacing hoses it's probably not necessary. With the engine full hot, you can have a helper rev the engine while you watch to see if the lower hose collapses at all. It should pull in just slightly when you rev.