[Gasser]

Got a quick question for you guys. I'm building a 34 Chevy P/U street rod. I have a stock 34 chevy 6 cyl. radiator. I plan on adding an electric fan, plastic shroud, and modern style coolant overflow can, along with a modern higher pressure cap. The radiator has been tested at my local radiator shop, and looks OK to them. My question is: will this setup keep my 383 small block cool enough? (It has a 4-speed) How about if I add (the wife wants) A/C?
Anybody out there got any experience with these old radiators?
Thanks!!

[Deuce]

.


I have never had a 34 Chevrolet Pickup but I would guess NO. When new, the radiator was designed to cool around 200 cubic inches with a compression ratio of less than 8 to 1.

Now, almost 70 years later..... you want it to cool almost twice the engine with more compression?

Go ahead and get a new radiator (street rod type) for it. The $500 or so you spent today could save you a 383 rebuild later on.

If you had a 283 Chevrolet.....I would say YES.

[el]

those old honey comb rads barely cooled the original engine.it would never cool a 383.

[willys36@aol.com]

I used a '36 Plymouth honeycomb radiator to cool my 354 hemi in my Willys for years ~25,000 miles. Just recently had it re-cored with a modern finned core but can't seem to tell a differnce in cooling ability.

My recommendation is try it. If it works, fine, if not, pull it out and have it re-cored. No large thing.

[48Man]

Willis 36,

Did you rod have A/C? <img src="graemlins/sweat.gif" border="0" alt="[sweat]" />