Google up Champion radiator.. They have some universal ones that may fit your app..The size you are needing is commonly used in midget cars..might take a bit of adapting but you are a rodder, correct..:mwink:
LOL, I am after a radiator for my sons '60 Alpine. I am going to be getting to that this summer, putting the Pinto 2300 in it. The biggest the radiator could be is a 17 tall and 22 wide. Left upper intake, Right lower ex-take.
That looks pretty good, I am thinking after the second measurements that it could be as high as 17 inches and I want to get as much as possible of course. But that certainly would fit. The upper hose location may be a problem but interesting, thanks.
This is what I am thinking of, a factory radiator that I can get cheap from one of my suppliers, they have application information only.
I would be thinking of a cutoff wheel and a MIG and modify the radiator support to fit the radiator myself..Might just take a small amount of nip and tuck to make another one work.
It's not that easy Sam, we are talking the frame rails and front crossmember as being the most restrictive. The "radiator support" it's self leaves for a lot more room. It's that damn frame.
Yes, but the engine, and crappy old radiator had much to do with that. If you're planning a Pinto 4 cyl., it should easily cool with the Jetta radiator.
Can you set the engine in place with some temp blocking and ten we can see just what we really have in space to install a radiator..Looks like the radiator could be wider and not so high in order to clear those rails and crossmember.. I would consider making a mockup of the proposed radiator and set the mockup in place to see how everything works out before cutting metal.
Get out a tape measure - make up a WRITTEN DOWN spec sheet - "can be no wider than X. Can be no taller than X
Now spend a Saturday afternoon getting some fresh air & sunshine at your local pull-a-part yard, When you find that the rad out of a whatever fits perfectly, you have a choice of pulling that rad for about 25-35 bux, or write down the year, make, model & engine of the beast you just identified and going & ordering a brand new one (which may or may not be as good as the used one you just found?)
Idea number 2 (and this uses up my entire allotment of ideas for the next 5 years!) - if U R gonna use a Pinto engine, check out the size of a Pinto rad
Back in the mid sixties I wanted a radiator that would fit in a '23 T grill shell. I took the shell to the local radiator shop. He took some measurements, got out a book, and told me to get the radiator from a Nash Metropolitan. It fit perfectly. Could such a reference book still be found at an old fashioned radiator shop?
Remember that if you have a motor that is making 300 HP, and you put a radiator in from a Pinto that made 100 HP, that motor will most probably overheat.
You should always try to match size of radiator as well as how much HP was it meant to cool. Radiators were built differently and bigger and smaller for a reason. Working for a cooling company, I get this question all the time.
Best bet is to try to match square inches of finned area to cubic inches of motor . Example........400 cubic inch motor = 20X20 sq.in. of finned area of rad.
This formula isn't set in stone but it should help as a starting point.
Brian I worked at a Radiator Shop ( doing A/C repair) and any shop worth their beans has multiple catalogs from Core Manufactures with core dimentions. Also in those books they also show tanks and straps. The shop I worked at built many a custom radiator.
Martin - check with a forklift sales or service place - they carry a lot of odd sizes and are all great for rod use - forklift do a lot of running with out moving a lot and they don't overheat - multi cores I guess - just a thought - seen them used a few rods before.- jaxx
Remember that the radiators from original Type 1 VWs and from Corvairs were universal - they fit everything! (sorry - couldn't help myself!) :nono:
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