Radiator fitment
 

Need some help. I have a 70 GTO base model and I’ve been trying to get my radiator installed for at least 8 months. I’ve taken it through two shops and neither one of them seem to be able to figure it out. Both just wanted to fabricate a solution but I want to keep my GTO factory looking. The issue is that with the bottom insulators installed, the radiator sits to high for the top to be able to mount it to the top of the core support. I will premise all of this with saying this is my first time doing this so I might be missing something obvious. I’ll also mention that the core support and radiator are aftermarket but the shroud is original. When I purchased the core support I also bought some radiator saddles but can’t figure out how those mount to the bottom of the core support. Which I think is the source of my problem. I don’t know if I was sold the wrong part or, because it’s an aftermarket support that I need to drill the mounting holes for them.

I appreciate any help.

If you put this core support next to the oem are the angles right? I'm guessing they are not you will need to cut it all apart and rebuild it so the angle are right before you go any farther or use the oem part. or cobble up the radiator to fit. how are the fenders fitting? I have my oem rusty and dented up core support and and aftermarket one clean no rust do you know what one i will run oem.

I don’t have the original to compare it to. When I bought the car it didn’t have anything from the firewall forward, other than the frame.
The fender fit fine and so does the nose. I would hate to blow apart the front end to replace the core support but I’m kinda running out of options. I’ve done some searches for an original core support and haven’t had a lot of luck.

I just installed a radiator in my 70 LeMans. The bumper, nose, and valance are still off. If you think photos or measurements will help, let me know. I think the dimensions are probably the same even though the top of the radiator supports are different.

I'd start by verifying the radiator support-to- frame.

What is the radiator? Just checking the basics..

What do you mean by "..radiator saddles but can’t figure out how those mount to the bottom of the core support.."? Photos might clarify..

Ya I do know that my core support is misting the rubber bushings where it mounts to the frame rails on the underside and I’m planning on fixing that but I wouldn’t think that would solve my problem because it’s the hight to the core support that seems to be the issue. The radiator I got from Original Parts Group and is suppose to be a direct replacement.
No I have been told that the core support for the GTO and LaMans are different and aren’t interchangeable. I could be wrong though.

Here are some pictures of what I’m dealing with. Again any help with figuring out this puzzle would be awesome.

The fan shroud fits my radiator and the shroud fits the core support but when everything is fitted together it’s doesn’t.

More pictures

I believe there is a simple solution to your problem. The mounts you show to bolt to the lower part of the core support are incorrect.

Take your shroud, lay it on the ground (fan opening down), and you will see that the radiator will 'lay' inside of it. At each of the four corners, there is a slot where a rubber "C" channel type insulator goes. That rubber insulators surround the corners of radiator tank/core seam, and the whole assembly then sits inside the shroud.

When the assembly is then lowered into the core support, there are two bolt holes on the lower portion of the shroud that allow it to bolt to the bottom of the core support. Up top, 4 bolts across the top.

The radiator hoses also help hold the radiator in position, but it's primarily those four rubber insulators shaped like a large "C" that position the radiator inside the shroud.

This is likely what you need:

https://www.opgi.com/cooling-heating...241268-st.html

Hope that helps! :)

Thanks
 

I think you are right. What has thrown me for a loop is that the restoration guide I’ve been using shows the saddles installed for a 70 GTO.

Thank you for all the help. I’ll give it a shot and post the outcome.

With the reproduction 1970 coresupport, did you note the way it was improperly jigged up with the result being the bottom rail is spotwelded on PARAlLEL to the stamped steel top???
The bottom rail is supposed to be at a tilt

Several years ago dataway went through this on the reproduction '70 coresupport when he tried to bolt it directly in his '68 GTO. Many many others have also encountered this over the last 5 years w the Taiwaan repro.

Going back decades, I have broken down numerous original coresupports, with a few where I replaced the entire lower rail with one from a donor coresupport. Same deal, have to be careful to properly getting the positioning & angle of the lower rail correct before finish welding.

dataway's previous post, LOT of pics.
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=835789

Another problem that will be run into on '69-72 A-bodys & GP's, if not paying attention, is trying to install a 4 core factory dimension radiator into what amounts to be a 3 core '69 or '70-72 fan shroud. One will have to do some careful trimming of the plastic to make the 4 core rad properly fit.

No I did not. When I bought the car it was missing everything in front of the firewall minus the frame. So I didn’t have an original core support to compare it to. Plus welding is out of my skill set. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that removing the saddles is the solution. Otherwise I’m looking at finding an original core support or finding a bottom rail.

Thanks for all the help.

Might as well uncross your fingers. Won't need to weld it up yourself, should be able to find someone local that has decent w MIG welding skills. Also wouldn't hurt to learn how to carefully remove spotwelds w a center punch & a spotweld bit. Will need minimum of a drill, a $30 Harbor Freight "Dremel" tool, a small tube of thin Dremel cutoff wheels to make the small pieces of donor sheetmetal "triangles". Will also need an assortment of clamps.

Fwiw, very nice used '70 GTO coresupports will run over 3x the cost of the poorly welded up Taiwaan reproduction. Be glad you don't need either version of the '71 GTO coreupport.

Less than 18 months ago, went through for a local longtime customer, building a 70 GTO coresupport. Used a very nice original top, correctly positioned & plug welded onto a cherry donor upright. To make it real sanitary, I always remove a nice top from the underside.

I understood the lower part of the support in a LeMans was identical to that in a GTO. Assuming that's true, I was not aware there were two different fan shrouds for the two radiators.

I did learn there were two different rubber supports - the 4-core version being longer than that for the smaller radiators.

Also, there is a bracket on the front of the lower support rail that is a "stop" for the rubber supports. Here is what mine looks like. Hopefully is the same on a GTO. My apologies if not....:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1685368147

Mike