This is 26" across the cooling surface. Two questions-- how do you know if it's a brass or aluminum radiator? I assumed it was brass because the lower rad hose connector looked brass, but I just don't know.

My second question-- could this be the original radiator for my 69 L46 (4 speed, no AC)? Or can someone verify that the original one would have been aluminum? That's my hunch based on looking around online.

The reason I ask is that this radiator does not really fit correctly with the rad support and shroud-- I have it all out of the car at the moment. I'll take photos of this when I get home and see what people think.

In the meantime this is the radiator I removed:



I suspect the front end was damaged at one time, and maybe a different rad, support, etc. was installed. I see Corvette Central is running free shipping right now, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get all of this ordered. I'm thinking part #243044 is the radiator I want, and 243042 is the support that is for that radiator?? not sure about the shroud. I guess I'm still not exactly sure what is correct for my specific car.

Thanks for any help-

 

you are correct ... 350/350 without A/C and with 4 speed used the aluminum radiator ... other 350/350 models (with A/C, with auto trans) used the Copper radiator.

 

Would you say my photo is definitely a copper radiator? I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I didn't know if the sides could be copper, but the cooling tubes were aluminum so it's referred to as an aluminum radiator. Or if an aluminum radiator is all aluminum, and a copper one is all copper.

 

Definitely copper - you can see it in the bent cooling fins.....

 

An aluminum rad is all aluminum.

 

I'm home from work now and took a few photos. The rad, support, and shroud just don't seem to fit together. The support is for a copper radiator, but maybe there are different sizes of Corvette copper radiators. Please look at this first photo:



This is looking at the lower radiator support-- passenger's side. I don't believe the problem is that the radiator just doesn't push down far enough. It looks like when the radiator is lying flat against the support, the bottom support bracket is at the wrong angle-- angled away from the support. You can see that the radiator sits lower at the back of the bracket. Almost like if the radiator was sitting squarely in the bracket, then it would be free standing away from the support sides-- not snug up against them.

So that made me wonder-- maybe radiators with an auto tranny cooler would sit at this angle to make room for the additiional cooler. And that's why my stuff doesn't fit together? My radiator, although copper, is maybe physically the same as the original aluminum one and would actually fit better in the radiator support for aluminum radiators?

Here's a photo from the driver's side-- bad lighting but it's a similar fit:



Here's a photo of the top bracket-- driver's side. Things just don't look right. The bracket will fit ok on the radiator if I disconnect it from the support. But when it's on the support, it also looks like it's at the wrong angle to the radiator. Almost like the radiator is sitting a little too tall:



Here's a pic with the shroud-- looks ok from this angle:



But when you look at the shroud bracket-- it doesn't reach the radiator support:



Here's the side angle-- the angle of that bracket looks funny to me:



Also I measured the radiator and it's about 3 inches thick at the capped sides. I'm sorry to keep bugging everyone about this, but I'm not sure what parts are wrong and how to make it all fit together.

Would you guys say this radiator is basically physically the same as the aluminum one that the car originally came with, and all I need is the other radiator support? It just seems like this radiator does not fit with this support. Or if I purshased a new direct fit aluminum radiator-- would it fit in this support, or is it physically different and needs the other support? If I just can't determine what's wrong, I guess I'll buy new everything-- although I hate to toss money away if I can reuse any of my existing parts.

Thanks for any info or observations. It's hot as heck right now in Chicago, so it seemd like a good time to rip the car apart and work on a few things.
Andy

 

There are 3 different radiator supports for 1969 ...

1 support for aluminum with 350, 4 speed, no A/C.
(next 2 for copper radiators ...)
1 support for other 350 measures 26" between lower brackets.
1 support for 427 measures 27" between lower brackets.

maybe that will help ... ???

http://www.dewitts.com/
you can also check DeWitts ... they have pictures of the correct radiator, support and shroud.

 

Thanks. This support is specifically for a 26" copper radiator, but to me things still look like they don't fit correctly. Who knows-- maybe the support I purchased just isn't built correctly? Those lower brackets are definitely not at a right angle to the support frame. You can see they angle away from the support frame- but I don't know if this is correct or not. It seems like if the back of the lower brackets were dropped a touch to make it a 90 degree angle to the frame, then this would drop the whole radiator a touch and then those top brackets would fit ok as well.