C1 Brass Radiator/ Fan Shroud combo.

[studiog]

I have a brass radiator in my early 61 vette and the car came without any shrouding. I recently purchased an upper shroud 60-62 and it wouldn't fit. Do I need the 56-59 type of shroud for this brass radiator? Thanks for any help guys.

 

[JohnZ]

Yes, you do - all the upper and lower pieces and the mounting kit - Doc Rebuild has what you need.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Gary I cant answer your question but I have been thinking about you how has progress been doing, Have any pictures to share?

 

[studiog]

Thanks John as always.


Larry, I have been slowly but surely installing bright work. Seems like allot of stuff is on back order... very frustrating but I'm making progress. Waiting on my bumpers to come back from the chromer. Did you get your chrome back?

PS: Hard to navigate the Dr Rebuild site, very eclectic setup and out of date pricing.

 

[JohnZ]

Thanks John as always.PS: Hard to navigate the Dr Rebuild site, very eclectic setup and out of date pricing.

Forget the website - call Debbie at (203) 366-1332 and get their new catalog - it's the best in the business.

 

[John Mcgraw]

I can't think of any reason that the 60-62 style shroud would not fit. They both mount up to the same locations, and are only slightly different in shape. The 60-62 style uses a 2 piece lower section. Where exactly is it not fitting? There was only one copper radiator used on C1 cars and it was used with both style shrouds.


Regards, John McGraw

 

[studiog]

I can't think of any reason that the 60-62 style shroud would not fit. They both mount up to the same locations, and are only slightly different in shape. The 60-62 style uses a 2 piece lower section. Where exactly is it not fitting? There was only one copper radiator used on C1 cars and it was used with both style shrouds.


Regards, John McGraw

John, I tried to mount the shroud a while ago now and I don't remember exactly where the problem was... I think the holes lined up but there wasn't clearance near the top between the rad. and the shroud. I remember thinking if I took the rad out the shroud would fit and vice versa. Unless the shroud I had was bad... it was used but it looked fine. Didn't look warped or bent. Most catalogs show the brass rad. used from 56-early 61 but the 2 shroud styles go from 56-59 and 60-62. :confused

 

[studiog]

Forget the website - call Debbie at (203) 366-1332 and get their new catalog - it's the best in the business.

If you recommend it I'm sure I should have it. I'll order it tomorrow.

 

[andy60]

I put a 61 radiator in a 60 and a 60 radiator in a 61 because I had a 383 in the 60 and wanted the cooling of the 61 radiator. Owned a 60 and 61 at the same time.

I did not know they made a copper radiator for the 61, unless it is a very, very early car, have seen that. To swap the radiators I had to swap out the core supports. Does the radiator in your 61 have a radiator cap? If it does I do not think it is a 61, they had over flow tanks.

Andy

 

[studiog]

I put a 61 radiator in a 60 and a 60 radiator in a 61 because I had a 383 in the 60 and wanted the cooling of the 61 radiator. Owned a 60 and 61 at the same time.

I did not know they made a copper radiator for the 61, unless it is a very, very early car, have seen that. To swap the radiators I had to swap out the core supports. Does the radiator in your 61 have a radiator cap? If it does I do not think it is a 61, they had over flow tanks.

Andy

My 61 is an early car but I don't really know if the radiator is the original style or not. It is a brass/copper unit with a cap. I guess I will have to try a wide shroud (56-59) and see what happens.

 

[John Mcgraw]

Studiog,

All of the supports used the same mounting on the support, and all brass radiators were exactly the same, so I am sure that changing to the 59 style shroud will not solve the problem. It is just harder to install and remove due to the different configuration on the lower section. Slip the top shroud back on and take a pic where the problem is and post it. I just hate to see you chase your tail only to end up back at the same point you started. You may have a non-original style radiator, but then neither shroud would fit.

Regards, John McGraw

 

[studiog]

Studiog,

All of the supports used the same mounting on the support, and all brass radiators were exactly the same, so I am sure that changing to the 59 style shroud will not solve the problem. It is just harder to install and remove due to the different configuration on the lower section. Slip the top shroud back on and take a pic where the problem is and post it. I just hate to see you chase your tail only to end up back at the same point you started. You may have a non-original style radiator, but then neither shroud would fit.

Regards, John McGraw

Talk about chasing my tail... I already sold the radiator top shroud cause I thought it was the wrong one. I will take a picture of the radiator installed in the car maybe you can see if I'm missing something here. Thanks for the offer to help.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Seems like allot of stuff is on back order... very frustrating

Gary its a fact every season around spring everybody runs out of everything,Especially bright work,On your next project look for the December sales fliers and take advantage of them.I do this every year with paragons sales flier.There are alot of other folks with the same car season as us who do tear downs and repaints when the snow flys,I just dont understand when those southern guys know when its time to do there rebuild/maintnence

Sorry for the delay/problems your having whith your radiator,get some pictures up John will get it figured out.

Are you sure your setting the radiator all the way down in its cusions.Allthough mine is not a factory correct radiator it does mount in the original mounts I post a picture of it tomorow afternoon

 

[Old Bull]

I also have a very early 61 (ist month of production) that came with the copper radiator. Some time back I installed a later stock aluminum radiator which required changing the radiator support but the original shroud fit both radiators and supports without modification. Either it isn't the original radiator or you had a possibly damaged shroud.
Best Wishes

 

[John Mcgraw]

Most fitment problems are related to the radiator support not being shimmed properly. The legs of the shroud sit on top of the frame rails, but the rest of the shroud is attached to the support. If the support is shimed too low, the legs will hit the frame before the holes line up on the support. Also, don't forget that the support is adjustable in the body as well and can be moved back and forth slightly if the holes in the frame do not line up properly with the legs of the shroud. I would stick with the 60-62 shroud if I were you, I think is is a more attractive shroud and is a little eaiser to install, plus it is correct for your car.


Regards, John McGraw

 

[studiog]

John, Here are a couple of pics as promised. from listening to all you guys I think the problem may have been the shroud. Hopefully you can tell me if my rad. looks okay.
Thanks,
Gary

 

[John Mcgraw]

Gary,

That is clearly an original C1 copper radiator, and the support is also clearly a 61-62 support. You can tell the support by the holes in the center of the top bar to mount the top retainer for the aluminum radiator, and the offset to the front in the top support bar. On earlier cars without aluminum radiators, the top bar went straight across. If your hood is an original hood, you will also see a notch in the front shelf of the underside of the hood to clear the top radiator retainer as well. The 60 with aluminum radiator, used a suppport just like yours without the center mount, since the 60 aluminum radiator was a top tank radiator and used different mounting. Also the 60 hood is just like yours except it does not have the notch in it. 61-62 hoods are backward compatible, but earlier hoods will not fit on 60 and later cars due to the offset in the top bar of the support.
There is no reason that the 60-62 or the 58-59 shroud should not fit unless the support is not shimmed correctly at the third arm.

Regards, John McGraw

 

[studiog]

Thanks John. I'll try another 60-62 shroud.

 

[Loren Smith]

How does that pre-61 copper radiator fit in the 61-62 core support, and the hood still clear? The pre-61 radiators were about 2 inches taller than the 61-62 aluminum radiators, which sat on top of a two inch tall bracket that is inside the bottom of the core support.

If you still have this bracket at the bottom of your core support, you might look at getting a new 61-62 style aluminum radiator from Dewitts.

 

[IH2LOSE]

How does that pre-61 copper radiator fit in the 61-62 core support, and the hood still clear? The pre-61 radiators were about 2 inches taller than the 61-62 aluminum radiators, which sat on top of a two inch tall bracket that is inside the bottom of the core support.

If you still have this bracket at the bottom of your core support, you might look at getting a new 61-62 style aluminum radiator from Dewitts.

Hey loren I am just wondering the same thing,but for a different reason I have a 62 with a becool aluminum radiator in it and it seems garys radiator is much larger then mine,I would think the bigger the radiator the more heat it could remove.