AustrianVette

Hey,

I´m doing a frame-off restauration on a 67 Corvette.

It´s a #´s matching 427/435hp Coupe.
Correct from pan to filter now.

But I´ve got a problem:
The car had no radiator in when I bought it as a project.
Now I´m that far that I would need a radiator.
I had one from a 327 sitting on the shelf. this one is also leaking.
So I´m definitly going to buy a new one. But I don´t know
which one!!

The radiator support looks like a "hybrid" from a sb and a bb support.
It has the shape and the holes on the passenger side that the big block got to have. But it has the brackets that fit the sb radiator!!

I checked out Eckler´s online shop. There I recognized that the L88 radiator looks similar.
Does anyone know if the L88 uses the same brackets as the sb radiator? To me it looks like there is just a difference in the upper hose barb. The L88´s would also use the expansion tank my car has.
But it´s definitly a 427 factory car.

Is there a way my car could have received a L88 cooling system?
I also don´t have a fan shroud, like the L88´s hadn´t.

here is a link to the L88 radiator:
http://www.ecklers.com/corvette-radi...2-zr1-lt1.html

small block rad:
http://www.ecklers.com/corvette-radi...1965-1972.html

Here are some pics of my rad. support in the car:

http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/j...t=PICT0060.jpg

http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/j...t=PICT0059.jpg

What do you think? Does anyone know? Will a L88 radiator fit my car?

claysmoker

http://www.dewitts.com/

Nothing better.

Nowhere Man

read this http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...im-pissed.html

and you will know why anyone who knows anything about the cooling systems in corvettes says to buy from Tom Dwitts.

and there is no need for a L88 radiator for your 435.

AustrianVette

Thanks for that. Good post
Better price than Ecklers.
But doesn´t answer the questions.

AustrianVette

Main goal is to get the correct radiator for the car.
The car is all original now.
And it looks like this radiator support belongs to the car since it was born.
I heard that the L88 radiator were available from GM.

Is it possible that someone "upgraded" the car when it was new for racing?
Or could you order something like "heavy duty cooling" or so?

0Tom@Dewitt

Anything is possible! After 40 years many things could have happened. I think the first thing you want to find out is if this car is a true L88 because that would add big bucks to the value of the car. If it is, then you want to keep it that way and use the aluminum L88 radiator, our part #955. There are many ways to determine this but a couple that come to mind is if the car also has the overflow surge tank and/or bracket on the fender skirt. What tach is in the car?

I can't tell from the photo's if the support is a SB or the L88 but it's one or the other. The only difference between the two is the bolt pattern for the upper mounting bracket. The bolt holes for the L88 would be about 3" apart and the SB would be about 5" apart. It's not a standard BB support as this one would have the U bracket welded on the bottom. If this is a standard 427 BB car and not the L88 option, then the car should have a copper unit, our part #BC67M to be fully correct.

rgs

The radiator used on the 67 L88 is the same as used on my 65 396, with the overflow tank. My car originally had a small block radiator in it. It was obviously narrower than the opening, by about 3 inches. Air could go around one side of the radiator. The correct aluminum radiator (which I bough from De Witts, thank you) correctly fills the opening.

If the small block radiator correctly fits the radiator support, it is a small block support.

AustrianVette

Thanks for all the info.

I´m sure the car is no true L88. I would love to have one
But my car has radio and heating. Which are things she shouldn´t have if it was an L88.

It´s a #´s match 427/435hp car. Thats sure. Fully correct. all 3 carbs, dist, intake, heads, transmission, rear end..... everythings like it has to be.

The sb radiator is a bit small for the opening in the radiator support.
The 3 inch wider L88 radiator should fill this.
But as you said that you had a sb radiator in your 65 I can be sure that the brackets will fit.
Thanks.

I´m curious the drive the car. We should get her done this month.
Engine made 488hp on the dyno.
Not bad for all stock in my oppinion. We used only NOS parts for that motor. So it was real difficult to get all the parts together. No performance upgrades.
We just corrected the intake ports to line up well.

67L88

As stated above, the L88 uses the 65 (late) 396 radiator and core support with the overflow tank in the fender well on the passenger side. It also has no fan shroud.

The 435 calls for the "standard" 427 copper radiator with a fan shroud and no overflow tank.

Hope this helps.

63Corvette

If your ccar will be street driven, then it WILL need a radiator shroud. My 69 L88 couldn't be driven a mile without overheating until the dealer installed a stock fan shroud.
If the car is driven only at high speeds (racetrack) then the shroud will form a restriction to air flow.