67 camaro LS1 Best way to retrofit radiator out of the donor car
 

I’m retrofitting a new radiator out of a 2000 Trans Am into a 67 Camaro. Looking to see how other people have done it & the best way to do the swap?

Get a tape measure out n start finagling...

This is where you set the radiator over the hole it's going to fit, and start measuring for filler panels and mounting ears. Pretty hard to get that info on the internet.

I actually did the swap but I changed out my core support and I need to change out my radiator. Curious to see the different ways people have done it. Pictures would be great.

Since our cars don’t have a bottom radiator support mount like most newer vehicles do, ours has side tank mounts that mount to the radiator support.
I’m in the same boat as you. I was thinking of making or using a c channel metal with a rubber to protect the radiator and then set the radiator into the c channel and then weld or bolt the c channel to the support. Did that make sense ?
I also thought about cutting the metal bottom radiator support mount out of a 4th gen fbody and then make it mount to the 1st gen radiator support.
I haven’t done anything just yet on mine, but this was some of my thoughts.

I have to ask, why not use the radiator that was in the 67?

I don’t have a stock radiator...
The factory one cools enough...
Stock Fans pull a lot of cfm...
just my thoughts

Thanks for writing. I would love to hear any other ideas people might have to offer.

I'm using the fbody rad and fan setup in my 72 nova which has the same core support as the 67-68 camaro. I cut off the front mounting tabs on the radiator and just put the stock rubber bushings we normally use on the camaro nova core support and it lines up perfect under the aluminum portion of the fbody radiator. And the normal 3 bolt top plate with rubber bushings hold the radiator in place just fine. I might open up the core support so all of the radiator fins are exposed but honeslty it's not much being covered. I'll snap a couple pics when I get off work tonight to help visualize what I just described.

Heres a front pic, doesn't help much but I'll get you some better ones in a couple hours. The first pic shows the normal spot the rubber bushings fit into, just so happens the radiator aluminum portion fits right in those rubber mount slots.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...5c00561bdd.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...b60308cdfd.jpg

I used a the stock radiator with a Dorman 620-118 Thunderbird fan that was trimmed on a table saw to take around a 3/4" off the thickness.
The bottom is held with two simple L brackets off the core support and the top is held by using existing holes that were already in the radiator retainer and double nutted bolts.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...dad38ab1bc.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...a22dd29625.jpg

As advised, start measuring the space you have available under the hood - height, width and thickness between the core support and engine and start "imagineering" yourself a solution. I'm going to use an inexpensive set of used dual fans from the junkyard - they are everywhere in all sizes. I think I spent 30 bucks and got a 30 day warranty. Just make sure you clip off the donor car wiring harness with the fan connector before leaving the yard.

I don't even bother looking at the junk yard vehicles that still have their old engines installed because its way too much work at that point to yank out a set of fans. Keep walking to cars that somebody has already pulled the motor from because they probably have done you the favor of removing the fans for you.

Rick

Here's a few more. Basically all I did was drill a new hole for the right side rubber bushing to fit snug under the aluminum portion of the radiator pointed at in pic, and now it's perfect. I took a dremmel and cut off the factory mounting ears in the radiator for fbodys.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...4c97ef8161.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...123df6107b.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...2c86e700d1.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/ls1tech...60f11bb85c.jpg

65mustang, where did you get that bottom radiator mount piece? That’s exactly what I was thinking of doing

that's how the factory novas core support is, I know some of the camaros don't have it so maybe you could just use the 68-72 nova core support ? Or just have someone weld a channel to the bottom or make some brackets out of aluminum.

I’m gona look into that core support or weld one into mine.

Thanks for the posts. It’s interesting to see the different ideas.

too bad you weren't local I'm selling the black core support in the pics on Craigslist lol. But they can be had for around $160 new from tamraz parts on eBay or amd, goodmark, etc. It' just the 68-72 nova core support.

its always that way with our luck

haha ain't that the truth