the radiator out of the 70 looks bad. it has been droped on one side and the tank is crushed on that side. this is the original radiator. should i get this one rebuilt/ repaired or buy a new one? who can fix or where to buy. this is going to be a judged car so i need it to be right with the correct numbers.

 

Repair your original. Date codes and numbers will match because they won't be changed or restamped. To ensure the originality is protected, you might want to consider the services of a radiator restoration shop.

 

I had mine recorded recently. Looks like a OEM radiator with the new core installed.. Cost more than "replacement" radiator however.

 

i think this radiator is to far gone to fix. is the lt1 radiator the same as the big block radiator or is it special to the lt1? i will just buy another one

 

Not sure on that one. I would check the AIM and the NCRS Judging Manual. You might also want to consider posting on the NCRS site and getting a more definitive answer.

 

My 70 LT-1 radiator is unique. Fill cap is on the radiator. My 69 and 70 BB has side reservoir tanks. The 69 L-88 BB radiator may be similar??,but that would have the wrong date code and be hard to find also.

Bullshark

 

I think it is the same radiator as a 350/300 auto. My buddy had an LT1 and his radiator is like mine. It is like the above says. It is a bigblock rad with the cap on the rad. I remember my buddy saying it was hard to find. But then again, I never looked for one.

 

The only LT1's to use the HD L88-type radiator (3007436) were the 52 ZR1's. These are shots from my unrestored '70 ZR1. Note that these cars also used the standard engine steel fan shroud.

The 7-blade fan is the incorrect fan for the car, and when I acquired the car I noticed it was installed backward... Runs cooler now that it's been turned around!

 

the book shows mine with a copper radiator with the cap on the radiator. no expansion tank on the lt1. the zr1 used an aluminum radiator.

i need the all copper, cap on top, radiator.

 

yep, you do!



Bullshark

 

I would check with Tom Dewitt. He makes a great radiator and may be able to supply you with a suitable radiator. I just think if you are going to drive the car at all there are two things I don't like to repair: Gas tanks and radiators.

 

i need one like that. what part number is yours? does it have a date code?

 

GM #3018803 is the small block radiator used in PRODUCTION for 1969-72 L-46 applications and all 1970-72 applications with LT-1 (except, possibly, a few 1970 LT-1 and all ZR-1). This radiator is identical to the 3018802 except that it has no provisions for an oil cooler. It was discontinued from SERVICE in June, 1974 and replaced by the GM #3018802 with auto trans cooler.

Brass radiators were not dated coded. They had a metal clip/tag on the passenger side with a broadcast code in 5/8" letters. I think MJ was manual and MI was auto, but that's going by memory. You can re-core these radiators but most radiator shops replace the core with an imported core that uses the wrong upper and lower channels and it's a dead give-a-away replacement. The upper channels are an open U shape and collect all kinds of junk in there. The factory radiator cores used a channel often referred to as "hat channels". You can retain this feature by using one of our replacement copper cores.

Just take the new core and your old radiator to a local rad shop and have the end tanks transfered. If the end tanks are dented, you can sweat these off yourself prior to taking the parts in. You can work out the dents and clean them up most of the time. Small pin holes can be repaired with silver solder by the rad shop. If the end tanks are totally gone, you can use the ones we make for 66-67 BB. They aren't exactly the same, but you can make them right by filling in the left side drain.
With all that said, I would not do any of the above. Why?
1. Aluminum radiators cool way better 2. Radiators do not draw a lot of attention in judging and even the wrong one isn't going to change the outcome. It's a very low point deduct and the extra cooling is worth the point deduct the other 364 days of the year. 3. Black paint changes everything. Almost everyone that sees a black radiator thinks it's a copper/brass radiator, so you might actually lose zero points with an aluminum radiator. 4. In the end, an aluminum radiator is going to cost you less. By the time you buy the new core, fix or replace the end tanks, pay the radiator shop to do the soldering, and repaint it, you will have spent more than $500.

 

how much is the aluminum radiator i need? where do i get it?

 

This is the radiator for LT1
http://www.dewitts.com/pages/product...asp?ProdID=277

if you want to get the radiator coated with the black ice then order this
http://www.dewitts.com/pages/product...asp?ProdID=292

Painting does NOT reduce the cooling performance