Pulled a 1987 out of a hole

hacked89

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Also congrats because you would have never found a radiator for the one on the left. Unless you used a 460 radiator. Left is also the only one they sell new reproduction because of the cross over. I took one and chopped the bottom off and then rewelded to make it fit AC radiator.
 

hacked89

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I might already be running a 460 radiator.

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As you mentioned you originally had the non AC bricknose core support so you have the radiator, assuming it works, but now you get to go to a “better” cooling system with the new core support. IE time to buy a new radiator. There’s alot of opinions on the radiators. I just bought one from the parts store.
 

captain720

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I am not planning to spend money to buy a new radiator for the ac brick nose and I will stick with what I have. That would be nice but that’s a lot of bucks.
 

captain720

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I have decided to make the multi radiator cores support, works for AC or non AC radiators.

Here is a mock-up
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hacked89

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I did the reverse of what you’re doing. AC radiator on non AC core support. Like your thinking, you just cut and weld things together until it fits your liking. If I were you I would keep modifying it to being the fitment similar to factory.
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hacked89

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If I was really you, I would sell your AC core support and then buy a non-AC core support from LMC truck with the money since you have the radiator
 

captain720

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Some minty reinforcements
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captain720

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I got it done last night and it works fine, although I have a pesky hose clamp that’s leaking. That always happens to me.
 

The_Josh_Bear

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It’s my in laws and I can use it only on weekends so last weekend was a 25+ work hour marathon to get it done. It is very nice and I am very thankful for getting to use it but sometimes I get in way over my head on weekend projects.
Anytime you're limited like that it's easy to bite off more than you have time to chew and especially the parts availability bites us in the keister. I can definitely sympathize with your predicament!
Love the work though and the improvising on the core support. Nice work!

For hose clamps I've become a huge fanboy of spring-type clamps. They come off better, don't leak, and are re-usable while not being able to over-tighten the dumb hose. It's really common for people to over-tighten coolant clamps and end up messing up the hose. I use to think they were inferior but have really come around. So now everything I touch gets a spring clamp, except the huge radiator hoses. I'd use them there, too, but I've never looked into it. ;burnout
 
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