Budget radiator for 68 ls1
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Los Altos, California
Budget radiator for 68 ls1 Well after reading every post that came up i still cant find a good radiator.
Most discuss 2 options:
Getting a custom built one (mucho $$$)
And getting a Sirocco style one from summit or jegs
My problem is that i dont see myself justifyong $800 for a radiator
and the only sirocco style radiators ive found seem very small, or more appropreiate short (13")
So my question is for those of you using the sirocco off the shelf type ones what did you use, as well as what type of fan.
Most discuss 2 options:
Getting a custom built one (mucho $$$)
And getting a Sirocco style one from summit or jegs
My problem is that i dont see myself justifyong $800 for a radiator
and the only sirocco style radiators ive found seem very small, or more appropreiate short (13")
So my question is for those of you using the sirocco off the shelf type ones what did you use, as well as what type of fan.
In a Camaro with a LS1 eh.... Just get your stock rad re-cored to a 2 or 3 core (or 4 core HE). You can get your water neck outlets on the rad changed to the proper sizes allowing you to run 1 hose rather then splicing. Thats what I did. I have maybe 250 into my rad now(and thats canuck bucks!)
-Matt
-Matt
These folks will make one for you for a reasonable price.
http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/157/
What are your dimensions, how much room do you have? Check EBay, factory LS1 radiators show up there pretty regularly if one will fit.
http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/157/
What are your dimensions, how much room do you have? Check EBay, factory LS1 radiators show up there pretty regularly if one will fit.
you may also be able to use a truck one...not sure on how much room you have but the f-body radiators are angled back quite a bit so they may or may not work. I ordered a 34" x17" radiator for a big block 1990 454 SS truck from radiatorbarn.com for around $220 shipped. I can get you pics and measurements if you want.
Also Im selling my old radiator for $20 on ebay right now
Also Im selling my old radiator for $20 on ebay right now
Last edited by jimmyp; Oct 23, 2005 at 12:41 PM.
On The Tree
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: childress tx
ls1 radiator you can make brackets to mount the ls1 radiator on your core suport I used vibration isolators off of a 94 gm pick-up radiator and biult the brackets to use these, so far it works great but I have only ran it i the shop, the real test will be next summer at 100 plus with the ac on. If anyone else has any experience in this I would like to here how it has worked on the road for them.
11 Second Club
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
I went the cheap way. I used a radiator off of a 94 half ton truck with hd cooling. I also used the fan shroud and made it work on my 68 lemans. I am useing the truck intake and acc. drive so I was able to run a engine driven fan jim.m
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Los Altos, California
ive actually got the rad from my parts car however there are 2 problems,
1 its huuuuuuge and not thick (the hole in the rad support is about 21x15 if i remember correctly so i doubt itc cooling potential with such a small area witrh airflow)
2 That is easily the ugliest thing i have ever seen! id rather stick a fridge in my engine bay to keep it cool than that plastic oem pos.
1 its huuuuuuge and not thick (the hole in the rad support is about 21x15 if i remember correctly so i doubt itc cooling potential with such a small area witrh airflow)
2 That is easily the ugliest thing i have ever seen! id rather stick a fridge in my engine bay to keep it cool than that plastic oem pos.
well if your on a budget, then you cant really be picky! and i had that radiator in my 68 firebird with a ls1 and it worked great! and i dont know what your talkin about it being ugly?!? and so what if it is small, it works great, that is what matters... remembe size doesnt matter with everything
Originally Posted by 68birdls1
well if your on a budget, then you cant really be picky! and i had that radiator in my 68 firebird with a ls1 and it worked great! and i dont know what your talkin about it being ugly?!? and so what if it is small, it works great, that is what matters... remembe size doesnt matter with everything
You gotta pay for bling, I see nothing wrong with an old school copper rad. Atleast I know I can get it fixed on a Sunday!
-Matt
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Los Altos, California
budget meaning somewhere south of $400 not $800+
...and already sold the fans haha
And reliability has been completely erased from my vocab with this car hahah
the link stu cool sent looks promnising, ill get back to everyone with progress, $400 for a custom rad is a steal.
I dont have the numbers for the dimemsion is for the hole in the rad support, but if its the same price should i go a little bigger, and if about how much?
...and already sold the fans haha
And reliability has been completely erased from my vocab with this car hahah
the link stu cool sent looks promnising, ill get back to everyone with progress, $400 for a custom rad is a steal.
I dont have the numbers for the dimemsion is for the hole in the rad support, but if its the same price should i go a little bigger, and if about how much?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Los Altos, California
Well looks like i found what i was looking for, and at that for half the cost, just need some fans and fab up some mounting brackets, so hopefully this thread should prove to be helpful to people doing this later on, ill post pics once i get it installed.
Radiator
Radiator
I used this radiator on my conversion along with a Taurus 2 speed fan. Kept it @ 185 in August, no problem. The radiator was 140 bucks and the fan was 75.
http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Par..._Radiator.html
http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Par..._Radiator.html
