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Buttercup's radiator

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  • Buttercup's radiator

    Today I started mocking up the radiator mounts. The original '55 radiator core is 15". By dropping the radiator cradle 7" and swinging the bottom forward, I can have my radiator built with a 22" tall core. That'll cool it. <G>





    Jerry Forrester
    Forrester's Chrome
    Douglasville, Georgia

    See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk


  • #2
    There was a time that you could buy a radiator core with the vanes/fins tilted so that when installed at an angle the air flow was straight. Don't think anyone is doing it any more. If you could get a cross flow built, it might allow for straighter air flow.
    Some cars with tilted radiators have cooling problems because the vanes/fins angle acts as a block. We have problems with the early 2 seat T-Birds because of radiator tilt and small engine compartment that doesn't allow for air flow out.
    Just something to think about. Like your build a lot.
    Last edited by thunderations; 07-21-2018, 11:32 AM.
    sigpic1966 Daytona (The First One)
    1950 Champion Convertible
    1950 Champion 4Dr
    1955 President 2 Dr Hardtop
    1957 Thunderbird

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    • #3
      Just leave out the cowl seal, replace it with a few rubber blocks to maintain hood fit, and you won't need a larger radiator. Something we learned with our '53.
      Click image for larger version

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      • #4
        Originally posted by thunderations View Post
        There was a time that you could buy a radiator core with the vanes/fins tilted so that when installed at an angle the air flow was straight. Don't think anyone is doing it any more. If you could get a cross flow built, it might allow for straighter air flow.
        Some cars with tilted radiators have cooling problems because the vanes/fins angle acts as a block. We have problems with the early 2 seat T-Birds because of radiator tilt and small engine compartment that doesn't allow for air flow out.
        Just something to thing about. Like your build a lot.
        Just what I was thinking. With that angle, a standard build radiator may not give you as much cooling as a standard size radiator more in line with the air flow.
        Gary L.
        Wappinger, NY

        SDC member since 1968
        Studebaker enthusiast much longer

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        • #5
          Originally posted by studegary View Post
          Just what I was thinking. With that angle, a standard build radiator may not give you as much cooling as a standard size radiator more in line with the air flow.
          When I put a Crown Vic fan on it, There'll be plenty of air flow.
          Jerry Forrester
          Forrester's Chrome
          Douglasville, Georgia

          See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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          • #6
            Originally posted by bensherb View Post
            Just leave out the cowl seal, replace it with a few rubber blocks to maintain hood fit, and you won't need a larger radiator. Something we learned with our '53.
            [ATTACH=CONFIG]73979[/ATTACH]
            Oh man- that is a great idea!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by creegster View Post
              Oh man- that is a great idea!
              Yea, several years ago about 300 miles into a 1400 mile trip in the '53 we started having cooling problems. We found if we rolled a towel and stuck it under the rear edge of the hood to keep it up a bit the engine temp dropped dramatically and overheating went away. We later replaced the cowl seal with rubber blocks and never had another heating problem. We've done it since on every C/K we've owned and have never had heating problems with any of them. The ambient temp has been 100+ here for over a month.

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              • #8
                My question is whether the radiator will fit behind the grille and bumper? I suspect you have designed it so it will and if so I like the idea. Can I assume the electric fan you are referring to is a puller?

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by 1953champcoupe View Post
                  My question is whether the radiator will fit behind the grille and bumper?
                  Yes. Here's one I did 15 or so years ago. All I have is a picture during construction.



                  Originally posted by 1953champcoupe View Post
                  Can I assume the electric fan you are referring to is a puller?
                  Yes, it's a puller. Very quite and moves an enormous amount of air. 1995-97 Crown Vic.
                  Jerry Forrester
                  Forrester's Chrome
                  Douglasville, Georgia

                  See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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                  • #10
                    I've been looking at the tilted radiator and decided that I tilted it too much. I had only 2" clerance between the radiator and the water pump pulley. The aluminum radiator that I'll have built will be 3/4" thicker (and all that is on the back side of the radiator) than the original radiator. And I need room for the Crown Vic electric I plan to run. I decided I needed to take 2" out of the tilt. In other words, keep the bottom of the radiator where it is and move to top of the radiator 2" forward.
                    That meant I would have to refabricobble the hinge cross bar that I had spent a day on fabricobbling a couple weeks ago.
                    I spent half the day (3 hours for me) doing that and the outher half day (another 3 hours) refabricobbling the radiator cradle.
                    Here's a pic of what the mess looked like when I left this afternoon.





                    As usual, more as it happens.
                    Jerry Forrester
                    Forrester's Chrome
                    Douglasville, Georgia

                    See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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                    • #11
                      Today I got the radiator, fan and shroud and core support all figured our with clearances all around. It's tight in almost all places you could think of plus a few you can't.
                      I decided to go with a 2003 Crown Vic fan and shroud. It comes as a complete unit and is designed to go behine a tilted radiator.
                      I got everything completed and took the original radiator and modified cradle up to Precision Race Cars to have the aluminum radiator made to my specs (25 degree tilt, horizontal on top, upper hose nipple horizontal, lower hose nipple 90 degree toward the passenger side, drain petcock in bottom tank toward the engine side, 1/4" fitting next to the drain petcock for my electric fan thermostat capillary tube). Shane (boss man at PRC) said "Man, you don't want much, do you?" I replied, I just want what I want. I didn't ask for a price, I was afraid to. They never have given me any special deals, but have always been fair.

                      I hope you can under stand these pix, any questions, just ask.

                      All the string is to hold the fan and shroud in place until I could figure out if it was going to fit. It did, just barely.







                      Jerry Forrester
                      Forrester's Chrome
                      Douglasville, Georgia

                      See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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                      • #12
                        Progress has been almost at a standstill while I was waiting on the radiator.
                        I picked Buttercup's radiator up today. PRC did an A+ job. I am pleased as punch. It turned out exactly the way I described it to them.
                        They put a lot of extra time into fabricating this radiator. The guy that does the welding is an artist. All he does is weld aluminum radiators all day long, 4 days a week.
                        $375 total for the radiator. Deal of the century.


                        That's my cradle I fabricobbled together using two radiator cradles.












                        Jerry Forrester
                        Forrester's Chrome
                        Douglasville, Georgia

                        See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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                        • #13
                          Boy does that look nice!!!!! Hurry up and get it put in so we can see how it looks in the car. Have fun, Bill.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Colgate Studebaker View Post
                            Boy does that look nice!!!!! Hurry up and get it put in so we can see how it looks in the car. Have fun, Bill.
                            Thanks Bill. It'll probably be a week or so before I get back at it. Doing some remodeling work at the shop. Deby and Jessie decided they couldn't make it a go with the Maker's Space.
                            They moved out and I'm moving some walls around. Hoping to find a tenant that can pay rent.
                            Swap meet at Lineville, Al. this weekend.
                            Swap meet at Perry, Ga. next weekend.
                            Swap meet at Moultrie, Ga. the following weekend.
                            Then the next weekend is the Turkey Rod Run at Daytona Beach, Fl.
                            I went to Daytona every Thanksgiving for about 20 years or so, but haven't been in 4-5 years. Maybe it's time I got back down there.
                            November is a busy month for us car guys.
                            Jerry Forrester
                            Forrester's Chrome
                            Douglasville, Georgia

                            See all of Buttercup's pictures at https://imgur.com/a/tBjGzTk

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                            • #15
                              That is an excellent price on a custom radiator. Apparently welding 32 hrs/week makes for decent welds. I like welding but there are other things I like better but not 32 hrs/week either.

                              Bob

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