Rad support function
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 587
Likes: 49
From: Belgium
Rad support function
Hi guys!
Slowly piecing the car back toghether.
My rad support bracket is quite rusted! And with quite I mean it has 2 5x2" holes rusted out it.
Im wondering what the exact function of this support is. It looks like it's not only a rad support but also a support for the hood and front clip?
Repro ones are ridicuously high priced, or I'm looking in the wrong places. 350$ for some stamped steel.. Looks like it's the corvette markup at it's best.
Has anyone ever made a tubular one?
I can weld this one up no problem. But depending on the function of it I might make a tubuar mount.
Thanks!
Slowly piecing the car back toghether.
My rad support bracket is quite rusted! And with quite I mean it has 2 5x2" holes rusted out it.
Im wondering what the exact function of this support is. It looks like it's not only a rad support but also a support for the hood and front clip?
Repro ones are ridicuously high priced, or I'm looking in the wrong places. 350$ for some stamped steel.. Looks like it's the corvette markup at it's best.
Has anyone ever made a tubular one?
I can weld this one up no problem. But depending on the function of it I might make a tubuar mount.
Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,713
Likes: 1,372
I would just weld it up since you have the skills. I removed mine a few years ago and cleaned and painted it..... I was lucky it wasn't totally rotted away.
Hi guys!
Slowly piecing the car back toghether.
My rad support bracket is quite rusted! And with quite I mean it has 2 5x2" holes rusted out it.
Im wondering what the exact function of this support is. It looks like it's not only a rad support but also a support for the hood and front clip?
Repro ones are ridicuously high priced, or I'm looking in the wrong places. 350$ for some stamped steel.. Looks like it's the corvette markup at it's best.
Has anyone ever made a tubular one?
I can weld this one up no problem. But depending on the function of it I might make a tubuar mount.
Thanks!
Slowly piecing the car back toghether.
My rad support bracket is quite rusted! And with quite I mean it has 2 5x2" holes rusted out it.
Im wondering what the exact function of this support is. It looks like it's not only a rad support but also a support for the hood and front clip?
Repro ones are ridicuously high priced, or I'm looking in the wrong places. 350$ for some stamped steel.. Looks like it's the corvette markup at it's best.
Has anyone ever made a tubular one?
I can weld this one up no problem. But depending on the function of it I might make a tubuar mount.
Thanks!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 295
Likes: 58
From: Arvada Colorado
I have made my own support. It is not too difficult. The radiator support also bolts to the support that holds up the front clip. This is bolted to the frame. ( I have a 68 so later years may be different ). The nice thing about designing your own is that your design can improve on the seal system (air flowing around the radiator rather than thru ). I used square tube and used gussets, of sort, in the corners to eliminate the cross rods ( which a 68 had ).
Last edited by gg521; Apr 5, 2018 at 03:22 PM. Reason: clean up a bit
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 587
Likes: 49
From: Belgium
I have made my own support. It is not too difficult. The radiator support also bolts to the support that holds up the front clip. This is bolted to the frame. ( I have a 68 so later years may be different ). The nice thing about designing your own is that your design can improve on the seal system (air flowing around the radiator rather than thru ). I used square tube and used gussets, of sort, in the corners to eliminate the cross rods ( which a 68 had ).
Pretty please?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 169
Likes: 20
From: Westlake Ohio
I had purchased some 1" aluminum angle to fab a rad support. I will be building it to cradle the radiator rather the factory design that hung the radiator from the core support. I'm also curious how others have fabricated these.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 295
Likes: 58
From: Arvada Colorado
I did the same thing ( if I read you correctly ). Aluminum angle bolted to the sides of the opening. ( this is bolted to the front clip support ) The radiator support bolts to the angle. I made aluminum cradles that the radiator rests into. My cradles bolt to the core support but i can see your design working well too. The radiator that I used was the biggest Griffin radiator that I could fit between the inner fenders. I fabed up some aluminum bar stock and riveted it to the radiator top. The bar stock bolts to the radiator support and hold the top in. With this large radiator, cooling the motor is not an issue.
Last edited by gg521; Apr 6, 2018 at 06:51 PM. Reason: add some clarity.
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
A front clip correctly attached to the cowl needs no support for the front of the nose...as long as the car never moves and doesn't have a hood on it. The top of rad support is the hood hinge mount point. The inner fenders are bolted to the sides of the rad support. Inner fenders are then bonded to the hood surround and fenders. So it is almost body mount number 0. Mebbe build in a little adjustability at the mount points.
Last edited by derekderek; Apr 7, 2018 at 08:13 PM.