You built a really nice car there, glad you got it where you can have some fun now. Cooling problems sure do suck, nothing worse than setting in traffic and watching that temp gauge creep up and there's nothing you can do. I've been using Champion radiators from Lead Foot Racing. My first was in a chevelle I had with a 434 SB that was pretty radical, I put his 3 core in with dual fans and shroud and it never got over 190. Used several in street rods, 28 model A, BBC and a 33 plymouth, BBC. There isn't much room for a very big rad but never had a temp problem. Building a 57 chevy, LS turbo now so I ordered one for it. Rad, fan and shroud was $356, well worth the piece of mind. Let's hear some ET's here shortly, can't wait to see what she runs!

 

Yeah, I didn't think out what radiator I was going to run, I kind of went with the same dimensions as what was already in there before though I didn't need to because I have a tubular core support.

 

Was 91F today. I drove the car 90 minutes, a mix of driving by my house (Chicago North side by Wrigley Field), I94, and then drove through downtown.

Car held good temps, I was under 190 until very slow traffic, and then go to 202 on Michigan Avenue (dumb place for me to drive my car lol). I jumped on Lake Shore Drive it cooled from 202 to 193 in 3 miles. By the time I got to my house I saw 189 again.

I'd call this long drive a success.

 

Great news John, engine temp and oil pressure are my two OCD ticks when it comes to cars so I can fully relate to those operating normally.
Will you be hitting the track this year or continue tweaking and aim for next year?

 

Good deal John! Glad that it all worked out. I did the same thing on Saturday getting my temps sorted out too. Definitely a good feeling not having to worry about your temps.

 

@The ****** , quick reply, tweak and refine for now.

Long reply, I've thought a lot this year about what I really want to get out of this car. I first wanted a 7.99 car and did not much care about anything else. But as time passed, the stuff I wanted to do has more to do with street driving. I want to hit local shows, or hang out with buddies above anything else.

I also thought long and hard about friend's builds, and a bunch of them really aren't street driven. Yeah this car lacks a radio and it's kinda loud (I have plans for that ask me what I am going to do), but if i can drive 30-40 minutes to hang out with buddies that's awesome.

Before I drive again:

• Fix the track bar for the ladder bars. Lost a lock nut for the rear clevis. I have spares.
• Check over the ladder bars nuts and bolts.
• Adjust all the shocks, I need the fronts 7/10 firm on compression and I'll try 5/10 on rebound. Rears I put them a little stiff but the backs which are single adjustable need to be a tad stiffer.
• Continue cleaning up some wires, mostly stuff not being used.
• Change oil.

Before I make a track pass:

• Swap ladders bars to the solid end / heim ones.
• Most likely will swap rear shocks to double adjustables once I have an idea what length makes sense and what rate springs. Got a buddy in WI who has 4 pairs, he probably has a pair that work for me.
• Alignment
• Change WG springs to 7 lbs
• I'm going to swap on MT 295/65/15 DRs I have, 28s are coming off.
  

 

How are the temp Rye? I haven't even looked at my IATs yet lol.

 

Congrats John! It must feel great to turn the key and go. Its been a long haul and a well earned reward. Keep us all updated as you go

 

Cruising around I'm around 15-20* above ambient. I stopped and let the car idle yesterday in a blacktop parking lot. It was about 80-85* outside and the IAT's crept up to 125* and stayed right around there after maybe 10 mins of idling. Not sure where that lands on the scale, but I'm happy with that.

 

Sounds decent, how is your air inlet/filter set up, got a pic?

I have the turbo a few inches from the grille, I'll have to look at IATs next time I go for a drive.

 

Here's my current setup. At some point I'll make a box to surround the filter, but for now I think it's doing great.

 

I realize its two completely different methods of cooling but while looking for data logs on my old A2A car (didn't find them) I looked at the logs for my current A2W setup and on the last drive where I forgot to turn my A2W pump on, my temps started at 93 degrees, got up to 105 degree after making a couple quick pulls and then cooled itself back down to 95 degrees.
Definitely would suggest to start looking at an A2W setup in the future John, I'm curious to see how well it will work when it has ice water and the pump is running.

 

Yeah I totally dig the IATs with A2W, like you pointed out just running water is better than an air setup.

For me personally there is no way I want to deal with one of those big 11 x 11 type box coolers.

Ray Gardocki runs something like this in Sweet Pea (4 door sleeper Nova):

 

I like how he did this, and the car for the record runs 5.20s @ 35xx raceweight. But it would be a total rework for me to do it like this, my fan and radiator config would not work.

I'm not interested in running a brick between my intake runners and top, I'd have to cut a hole in my hood my guesstimation is that a stacked setup like that would protrude 2-3 inches out of my hood.

So ***** what are the other options?

 

Hey 3 Window. Been awhile! 🙂

Not sure im following on that one LOL!! If you shut em off after 40mph.... Whats cooling the rad? Just the natural airflow? And thats enough? Interesting if it is!!

Lead.

 

Yeah just the airflow. Rye has a C7 fan shroud that he modded has the stock rubber flaps that let air through when driving, very nice setup.

 

Yep, just airflow. The fan, believe it or not, doesn’t spin fast enough to let the air pass through it at speed. 55 mph I can watch the temp drop while I drive.

 

One of these days I'd like to check your car 3 window.

 

I realize packaging space for you is a problem so I apologize if I'm poking a sore spot lol.
Have you pulled the inner fenders out of the engine bay, I don't recall?
I'm currently running the Frozen Boost Type 22 A2W I/C tucked into the nose of my 4th gen, it supports 2,500 cfm worth of flow and up to 2,000 horsepower and as I mentioned with the pump not even running cools better than an A2A lol.
If you could tuck something like that into the front corner of the fender that might be the way or perhaps within the cabin?

 

Current look: