dbs1

Road racing my 02 camaro with a 500hp 383. I would prefer to NOT spend the asking price of a griffin, be cool or Ron Davis radiator of $700-$900 but would like to find a god improvement over the oem one for $200-$400 that requires no mods to fit and will hold up to the AZ heat. Suggestions?

2thousand2

I heard the LT1 radiator is better plus it's something you can get pretty cheap. If u have the SLP flopac airbox u may want to remove that since it blocks some of the airflow through the radiator.

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

be sure to get a correct LT1 radiator for improvement. I bought an "LT1" rad from an online parts site and upon getting my old radiator out I found it was the same core thickness as what I already had. Could always get a universal and do some mods if you know someone who can tig weld

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

AZ, eh? WOOF it gets hot there!

Do you have a auto or stick car?

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

Yeah you just hit on something there. Gonna need more than a LT1 rad

wildcamaro

iTrader: (15)

So you want top notch cooling for stock prices? I would just get a good one (griffin, etc) bc by the time you retrofit an "lt1" and adapt it you might as well of just got the good one...plus I can't see GM taking a steP backward and giving the ls1 less of a radiator than a previous generation, unless the lt1 was just that hot of an engine...

My point being if you got a built 383 then treat it to a built radiator...good luck man road racing sounds fun

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

The LT1 rad is a direct replacement piece into an LS 4th gen. The difference is that the LS rad is 15/16 in thick vs. the 1 3/8 LT rad. The difference was due to the iron block dissipating less heat in the LT1. Wasnt exactly a step back as well as it was just maintaining their current cooling standards

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

GM is notorious for having cooling systems that were barely adequate for the application.

And I hate the in-radiator tank coolers for transmission fluid and on some vehicles, oil cooling tanks on the other side. Overheat the radiator and you'll cook the transmission fluid and oil too.

The BeCool is the only viable radiator. 100% aluminum with welded tanks, not glued on like Griffin or plastic tanks crimped on like OEM. I had the barb on the plastic hose outlet shear off on my (long gone) original radiator.

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

I agree completely. I am going to get a universal high performance radiator and modify it in my case though since my best friend is a professional welder. I hope to save the money in that aspect.

chrisfrost

iTrader: (8)

If You go to Rockauto online and search their catalog You can find a truck or suv radiator in the later 80's or the 90's that is a 2 - 1" wide rows but will need to lower You're radiator support an inch or so and probably notch the frame on 1 side or maybe both sides ,,,,,,,,,,,,then again I had a ford truck radiator from My friends something like a 1990 300 6-banger that was 1" taller and I know width wise it would have fit My 1980 Z-28 if I lowered the rad support 1 " . But I don't know about a newer camaro ,,,,,,,,,

dbs1

The car is an m6. In a former life with a lot bigger budget for this stuff I put Ron Davis radiators in my 700hp bbc 67 camaro and also in a 600hp sbc 69 camaro. I road raced, drag raced and street drove both cars. Even at $1000 + with dual elec fans in the bbc I could rarely finish a 20 minute rr session with the bbc so I am a little gun shy to spend that mind of $ and still not have it cool.

Anyone have any experience with some of the eBay "race" radiators? In most cases you do indeed get what you pay for...

Whiteaw57

iTrader: (2)

If you have something you dont want to get hot I would do what I did with my thirdgen. And that is put a 4in C&R radiator out of a nascar cup car in it. Although that was a heavy amount of modification to stand it up straight. Cant imagine that with the tilt that the 4th gen has

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

dbs1, you got any pics of these cars?

dbs1

I ended up gong back to a Ron Davis unit for $550 (courtesy of a discount from my mechanic) Beats the stock or eBay units as well as modifying the car to fit something else.

I would have to think where I could dig up a pic of the 69. It was a sweet ride that my daughter and son in law ended up with. The 67 I road raced with and like an idiot sold and is now in Australia. You can see it in action on you tube. TTZ06 @ firebird winter fest. I sure wish I still had that car. With a 150 shot it would run the qtr in the high 9's, change the wheel/tires and shock settings and go show stock Z06's the tail lights at the road course.