John Mcgraw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2003
- Messages
- 816
- Location
- Austin Tx
- Corvette
- 1960 Roman red, 1959 resto-rod, 1965 resto-rod
The clearance issue on 58-62 hoods was not on the top of the radiator but at the top bar on the radiator support. In early 60, they had to put an offset in the bar to accomodate the aluminum radiator, and moved the shelf forward in the hood, and sloped it more to clear the bar. Behind that shelf, the hood goes down to where there is nothing but the hood skin, and there is plenty of clearance. A buddy of mine put a Top-tank Aluminum radiator in his very early 60, and didn't think about the hood. After it was all finished, the hood would not clear! Luckily, I had a 61 hood which we used. It is not exactly correct since it has the notch for the top radiator mount, but it is functionally acceptable.
For judging purposes the 58, 59, and 60 all use hoods that are specific to them only, but the 61 and 62 hoods are the same. You can use any of these hoods on any year with a Copper radiator as long as it has a copper radiator support. If it has the aluminum radiator support, you must use a 60 or later hood. The copper radiator mounts to the same hole spacing that the shroud does, so putting a copper rdiator in a aluminum support, is no big deal. A lot of people have done this over the years as a cost-cutting measure whern replacing a radiator, but an aluminum radiator is clearly superior in terms of cooling. I have heard that very early base-engine 61 cars were built with copper radiators, but I am not an expert on 61-62 cars, so I can't say for sure. Very early optional engine 61 cars may also have used 60 style top-tank aluminum radiators without the external expansion tank.
Regards, John McGraw
For judging purposes the 58, 59, and 60 all use hoods that are specific to them only, but the 61 and 62 hoods are the same. You can use any of these hoods on any year with a Copper radiator as long as it has a copper radiator support. If it has the aluminum radiator support, you must use a 60 or later hood. The copper radiator mounts to the same hole spacing that the shroud does, so putting a copper rdiator in a aluminum support, is no big deal. A lot of people have done this over the years as a cost-cutting measure whern replacing a radiator, but an aluminum radiator is clearly superior in terms of cooling. I have heard that very early base-engine 61 cars were built with copper radiators, but I am not an expert on 61-62 cars, so I can't say for sure. Very early optional engine 61 cars may also have used 60 style top-tank aluminum radiators without the external expansion tank.
Regards, John McGraw
