[ArticGTO]

I have a 4-row radiator, (was in car when I bought it).
Core is all ate up and radiator shop said it would cheaper to buy new.
My question is: What radiator should I use to replace it?
I have a 400ci, 350h.p. 400 Automatic Transmission, car had A.C. and some day would like to restore car to original.
Would I decrease the value of the car if I don't replace with original radiator?
Can someone give me some ideas which radiator to use?
Core support is also rusted out and need to replace it, is their a package deal on this?
Probably need all hardware as in mounts core sets on frame, bolts etc., all hardware for radiator to set in core support, fender to core brackets, bolts etc.

[Forrest]

no kit that I am aware of... our host has one that is correct for your car (439.00) and looks identical except for the "harrison stamp"..It shouldn't hurt the resale value. I believe you can get the repro "radiator tag" which would make it pretty undetectable as far as being replaced

[Forrest]

Interesting..another place has one (y.o.) and it says it's for pontiac 68-72 "SMALL BLOCK" m/t without a/c.369.00..Just think it's funny ...small block in a pontiac I remember when they specialized in pontiacs and would never say that

[Amigo-2k]

I'm going through the same thing. I took my old original one to my radiator shop and was quoted a 1000 bucks to recore it ... yikes. So I bought a 4 core from them at half the price.

The only issue my mechanic is having is getting the fan shroud to fit right so the fan doesn't hit it. He told me he needs to slot the holes so it will slide down a little bit...

[ArticGTO]

Thanks for reply.
I saw that on (YO) and knew that wasn't for me!!
What did the car have originally for the radiator?
3 core or 4 core?
This is what I was interested in, if anyone else was having some issues, thanks for the reply Amigo-2k!!
My car had the fan and shroud removed and one of the previous owners installed some cheap electric fans that mounted through the fins of the radiator, what a bad wat of doing that!!
Had to replace voltage regulator and alternator cause the load of the electric fans pulls to much current, hence fried charging circuit.

[Loffen]

My -71 has a aftermarket radiator it it is going out even if it is working as it should, I bought a used 4 core Harrison for 350 USD and think I did a good deal on it, originally it had a 3 core Harrison but the extra cooling will not hurt and I will buy a repro tag and no one will see the difference.

Anyways if it was me I would try to keep the original one and take a couple of phone calls to check prices on a recore, 1000 USD is more than it would cost me in Norway and when the price level here is 2 x what you guys have i think the mechanic tried to pull your leg or something like that.

['ol Pinion head]

Copper has gone up dramatically & replacenent radiators seemed to have too. About 7 years ago, I had six Pontiac 4 core radiators re-cored locally. The cost was $160 a piece. At the time, my cost of a replacement 4 core Desert Cooler was around 259-289.

For the average driver, local show car, i really wouldnt worry about the radiator having original Harrison tanks. For point judged cars, it's a must, its easy to spot the replacements, even if they have the repo tags on them.

When it comes to '69, 70, & 71-72 fanshrouds, there are definitely 3 core & 4 core versions.

['ol Pinion head]

Going to run a a factory dimension 4 core radiator, will need a 4 core shroud, at least to not end up rigging things.

just last week a good friend and I were discussing factory 5 blade flex fans on various '69-71 Pontiac A-bodys we owned. Between the two of us we have several cars running them & over a dozen of these factory flex fans. On at least two relative low mile cars, the flex fans had been replaced at one time or another. We have looked at what we have on several cars & it appears Pontiac went between a 2 1/2" deep spacer & 2" deep spacer, depending on several things:

year, mainly '69 was questioned due to '69's short waterpump usage.
3 core or 4 core rad & shroud

observations:
-'69 short waterpump with 4 core used a 2.5" spacer
-'71 with correct waterpump with 4 core was equipped with 2" spacer

We are going to ck a few more cars & try to nail down which spacers were used with which rad & shroud useages.

[PB]

I replaced mine last summer. Used my original tanks and bought a whole new one. Cheaper to recore this way for me. My guy took the new tanks off and put mine on.

[steve v]

I haven't priced a recore in several years but the last one I did was in the $175 range.
If you decide not to recore yours & buy a complete new one I'd be interested in buying the old tanks for my '70

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Going to run a a factory dimension 4 core radiator, will need a 4 core shroud, at least to not end up rigging things.

just last week a good friend and I were discussing factory 5 blade flex fans on various '69-71 Pontiac A-bodys we owned. Between the two of us we have several cars running them & over a dozen of these factory flex fans. On at least two relative low mile cars, the flex fans had been replaced at one time or another. We have looked at what we have on several cars & it appears Pontiac went between a 2 1/2" deep spacer & 2" deep spacer, depending on several things:

year, mainly '69 was questioned due to '69's short waterpump usage.
3 core or 4 core rad & shroud

observations:
-'69 short waterpump with 4 core used a 2.5" spacer
-'71 with correct waterpump with 4 core was equipped with 2" spacer

We are going to ck a few more cars & try to nail down which spacers were used with which rad & shroud useages.

Hey Roger -

Thought I had the correct shroud ('70 with 4 core radiator); now I'm not so sure. What's the difference in the 4 core and 3 core shrouds? I thought that all '70's used the same one, either with or without the portion that's cut out.

Thanks

Scott

[getmygoat]

I had mine recored about four years ago... they had a "high performance core" listed in their parts book, provided a denser fin per inch count.... It was $400 for the recore. Car ran great, never any temp issues. (Sold the car about two months ago).

['ol Pinion head]

Scott, believe the difference is up in the top where the radiator sets next to the overlapping area. I have several original 4 core shrouds that I can get to and the 3 core shroud out of my 6000 mile 72 Lux LeMans partscar. Will work on getting some pics & measurements.

[ArticGTO]

Originally Posted by steve v

I haven't priced a recore in several years but the last one I did was in the $175 range.
If you decide not to recore yours & buy a complete new one I'd be interested in buying the old tanks for my '70

Like to do that for ya but one of the previous owners tried to braze the outertank to the core and i think they ruined the tank.

[ArticGTO]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Going to run a a factory dimension 4 core radiator, will need a 4 core shroud, at least to not end up rigging things.

just last week a good friend and I were discussing factory 5 blade flex fans on various '69-71 Pontiac A-bodys we owned. Between the two of us we have several cars running them & over a dozen of these factory flex fans. On at least two relative low mile cars, the flex fans had been replaced at one time or another. We have looked at what we have on several cars & it appears Pontiac went between a 2 1/2" deep spacer & 2" deep spacer, depending on several things:

year, mainly '69 was questioned due to '69's short waterpump usage.
3 core or 4 core rad & shroud

observations:
-'69 short waterpump with 4 core used a 2.5" spacer
-'71 with correct waterpump with 4 core was equipped with 2" spacer

We are going to ck a few more cars & try to nail down which spacers were used with which rad & shroud useages.

Would be interested in your findings!!!!

[Loffen]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Scott, believe the difference is up in the top where the radiator sets next to the overlapping area. I have several original 4 core shrouds that I can get to and the 3 core shroud out of my 6000 mile 72 Lux LeMans partscar. Will work on getting some pics & measurements.

Please let me know if you hace a -71 4 core shroud for sale, my 3 core shroud was "modified" into scrap when they installed the AC on the car

[JLHarper]

Chart for 70 models.

ROGER posted about different spacers, and also watch out for MOUNTING BRACKETS AND INSULATORS, (if applicable) for the different size radiators. Some are impossible to find.

SHROUDS are listed too.

Radiator shops are closing, not many left at all that know how to do the handiwork.
Replacements and economy drove them under.

Darryll (NOTIME) has one near him he uses and might comment.

[JLHarper]

ROGER, how come the manual shows a service radiator for the RAIV as being the 3017248 for the PD and 3025764 for the PA which calls for the 9799503 insulators top and bottom (not the 9799503-4 ) which are for four core radiators?

Fan shroud for all GTO / TEMPEST use the same number for 70: 487330 says manual.

Same core support for all GTOs in 1970.

Are these really a four core radiator used on a RAIV GTO in 70 or just different tanks on a three core? Seems like some members say four core but part numbers dont reflect that.

I read an old post where a member with original unmolested RAIV JUDGE four speed had the three core radiator in his.

Jeff

[steve v]

Originally Posted by ArticGTO

Like to do that for ya but one of the previous owners tried to braze the outertank to the core and i think they ruined the tank.

OUCH! Surprising how some guys can ruin something thinking they can diy!

[JLHarper]

Here is a guy if still in biz that learned from his Father and Grandfather....hes in his 40s at least and been around all his life working on radiators.

I used him a few times for recoring and repairs on GTO radiators.

For NC and VA members:

Winstead's Radiators & Air Services
203 Dabney Drive, Henderson, NC 27536-4033
(252) 438-5912 () ‎