I managed to figure out how to use my new digital camera to pop off a couple of successfuls shots of my car. Here is the new radiator: http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/JimN/rad.jpeg.improved.jpg There are some updated pics in my signature, too.

Looks nice - it looks like you were able to go with the dual 11" fans. I don't know if things are different because you have the '65 Wagon, but I've got a 65 Elky, and with the standard size radiator, I was only able to go with the 16" SPAL fan, which will work for me, since I live in a pretty temperate area.

Other than that, we will have almost the exact same setup with everything else - which is pretty cool. I'll post some pictures and descriptions when I get my stuff in at the end of the month.

Nicw Looking instalation Jim... graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Should keep that small block COOL on them HOT
NJ days.... :cool: :cool:

It looks fantastic. Did you have to do much fabrication on the brackets and stuff or was it a drop in? I'm looking to replace the radiator on my 65 and trying to find the easiest way to do it.

How much did the setup set you back anyway?

--rO

Thanks for the compliments. The radiator was custom made to fit the opening. The company actually sends you a drawing with measurements and configurations of the inlet/outlet overflow tube and filler neck. The fit was a drop in, but new holes had to be drilled in the radiator support and the radiator mounting flange. Because I switched to a crossflow design and the 65's had a vertical flow design, the trans cooler lines are in a different location so I had to fabricate new lines to fit. A lot of people just use flexible lines to the new locations. The size of the new radiator was a little larger so the battery tray doesn't quite fit the way that it used to and on passenger side, the winshield washer container had to be moved over a little bit. I will post more pics if it ever warms up around here! Also, if you are running a serpentine belt setup, you have to run dual fans because the clearance between the water pump pully and the fan is very close.

PrC has templates already for the '64/'65's... and from the drawings they sent me, it looks like the thing will fit right up to the original mounting holes. Did you send them custom measurements, ones that you supplied yourself? Anyhow - it's real nice looking - kudos again!

The radiator that they sent me was longer and taller than the original radiator. To get it to fit height wise, I had to drop it to the bottom of the radiator support. The width was a little longer as mentioned before. The differences might be because it is a crossflow radiator. I think PRC will supply a vertical flow unit that would bolt right up.

Wow - that's weird, because when I measured the car against the drawings they sent me, it was spot-on. Everything looked like it was there, and perfect. I'll have to see when they actually ship me the radiator if it is the same as the drawing. If it's the same as the cad drawing, the only holes I'll have to drill are for the grommets into the flanges on the radiator. I noticed yours has an angled top where the radiator cap goes - the drawing they sent me for the '65 has the radiator cap on the top left (looking from the engine) - are you sure you got the right radiator?

Yes, I am sure I got the right radiator. They make several core sizes, so your core might be slightly smaller than mine. I angled the radiator cap to make sure it would clear the hood. My engine has the serpentine belt setup which required me to eliminate the radiator spacer. Since the rad bolts directly to the radiator support now, it has to be lower to clear the hood. The original radiator just made it, so to insure hood clearance I had them put the filler on an angle.

Do these guys have a web site? Also is it a single core or 2 1" cores? What type of fans did you use?

Wow - I'm curious to see how mine turns out then. I'll post pictures and everything when it comes in and I install it.

And yeah - the website is www.streetrodstuff.com (http://www.streetrodstuff.com)

You want to talk to Dick Z. over there if you're going to order one of these things.

I have a PRC in my 67 and changed the location of the filler cap for hood clearance. PRC will put the cap and inlet/outlet on any corner you wish and give you size choice as well.

There are different core sizes and that will dictate what they can build for a 'drop-in' unit. Due to the extra thickness of the PRC and the fact I'm running a long water pump, there's absolutely NO room for dual fans on mine unless I go to very, very thin 10" units. A single 16" might fit if I offset it from the water pump snout.

Their quality is pretty good and Dick is knowledgable and ready to listen to what you want. Although I was running a 4-spd at the time, I ordered mine with AT fittings for the future. It came without the AT fittings (and tank). I called Dick and he confirmed with the guys that built it that they'd screwed up. He offered to pay shipping both ways to exchange it but I'd already thrown away the box and decided what the heck. The next year I swapped the Muncie for a 700-R4 and had to buy an external cooler. Live and learn. :rolleyes:

Side note: You might try reducing the physical size of your photos. Not only is it probably a very large file but the photo makes even my 19" screen have to scroll left and right to view the thread. Generally, 640 pixels wide is large enough to get the message across. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

http://www.dalesplace.com/images/chevelle/p001472.jpg

Dale, thanks for the pix tip, I fixed it and now I know how to do it. We never stop learning. Now if I can post a pic as nice as yours, I'll have something! I did snap a few better pictures that day, but it turned out that my camera was set to video and I ended up with some very crappy movies. It has been too cold/snowy to try again, but I am just sitting here waiting for the weather to get better with camera in hand :D

Wow - I seem to have much more clearance at the front of my engine, so I'm not too worried about dropping the PRC in there. I ordered it with the 16" SPAL fan and the aluminum fan shroud all built in. I plan on dropping in an electric water pump at the same time I drop the radiator in, so I don't think I'll have any clearance issues. That's why I upped my alternator to a powermaster 170 amp. I'm going to post a picture of the front of my engine compartment, and hopefully you guys can tell me if I'll have a tough time flopping it in there - I only have a 350, so I believe I should have more room than the Pumpkin in the front of my engine compartment.

http://www.angryamerica.com/chevelles/oldcoolingsystem.jpg

As you can see I have a crappy Summit aluminum radiator in there now that is totally bolted in with a makeshift setup. I only expected to have to use this for a couple of months - but it's lasted me almost a whole year so far. Anyhow- it's time for it to go.

The PRC was also about an inch thicker than the brass unit removed. That, the long pump, and the wide (serpentine as March likes to call it) setup really reduced my clearance. :eek:

Here are the rest of the pics: http://chevelles.com/showroom/JimN/radtopfixed.jpg
http://chevelles.com/showroom/JimN/raddriverearfixed.jpg http://chevelles.com/showroom/JimN/pulleyclearancefixed.jpg

Wow man, that really looks great. My new PRC should be here by the end of next week, so I will have it installed next weekend. I am also going to try to convert to the March serpentine system at the same time - so it should be pretty close to what you guys have. I've decided to skip the electric water pump, because everyone I talk to screams and yells at the top of their lungs about how they hate those damn electric water pumps.

I even had AC at Summit tech support yesterday start chewing me out on the phone. Pretty interesting customer service.

If you look in the second pic, you can see a row of rubber flaps that open when the car is cruising and let more air across the core. The fans are incredibly powerful and in this cold weather (25 degrees) they only run for about 45 seconds and then shut down. In the third pic you can see how tight the clearance is between the water pump pully and the fans. If there was a single centered fan, there wouldn't be enough clearance. Keep in mind that the clearance problems wouldn't be an issue without a serpentine belt setup.

Awesome man, seriously, I can't wait now to get my radiator in. Can you do me a favor, and measure how deep the radiator is from the front of the brackets to the back of the fan? I was planning on going with a serpentine belt setup as well, and it looks like the one from March will actually work for my application - as their belts align somewhat with the original belts. It looks like the belt that you have sits in front of the water pump, and that your alternator sits farther forward than mine. I don't know though, I think I have about 8" of total clearance from what the March guys tell me will be the front of the water pump pulley to the back of the radiator support. Hopefully that's enough!

I'll try to get the car out to measure tomorrow. Shoot me an e mail to remind me. Thanks.

How's that movie go?

You've got mail?

Thanks again Jim!

Hey Jim -

It looks like you used the vibration dampner mounting bolts as well - where did you actually mount those through? I have 4 holes in my radiator support that have threaded plates in them, and I believe that's where my original radiator bolted up to. I also have 4 'slots', I guess you would call them, very close to the bolt holes. They are about 3/4 of an inch long, and run vertical. They appear to be about 3/8" wide as well, I was thinking I could probably use those.

Thanks again!

You might be able to use the slots if they are positioned correctly. I didn't use them because the new radiator was wider and the holes/slots wouldn't line up with the mounting flange. I positioned the radiator, clamped it in place, and then drilled pilot holes through the flanges into the radiator support.

Jim - I really appreciate all your answers. I'm sure you didn't expect to get bombarded with questions like this when you posted your pictures. smile.gif

Thanks again! And if I'm ever in Jersey, or you're ever in San Diego, I'll buy you a couple of beers!

graemlins/beers.gif

hey another wagon, mines about ready for the engine. Then I need to do something about a hood. The previous ownner hacked the hood with a cowl. Nice looking car! see Ya!

if I'm ever in Jersey, or you're ever in San Diego...I haven't visited San Diego since 1978; I'll bet a lot has changed. I'll be back someday for a visit and maybe I'll take you up on the beer. As far as the questions go, no problem...that's what we're here for.