1972 LT1 radiator

[James G.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Do they date the passenger side tank? If not it is still not correct configuration.
1969 has only the Letter code for the month not the numeral for the year.
Not sure about 70 but would assume they are month and year my brother's early 1973 L82 vette is dated J2 IIRC and his 73 Z28 is dated L2.

[Patrick B.]

[Donald H.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Pat,

Yes, we did. An old school radiator shop in Winchester. The guy was able to order a correct copper core and he was actually able to take out some dents in the side tanks. It looks like a new radiator.

We put the radiator back in yesterday. We ended up removing the hood and the core support. Then mounted the radiator and shroud to the core support and put it all in as a unit. It went together much better doing it that way.

The only issue was the radiator ended up a little wider, so the side tanks did not fit down into the cushions in the lower brackets on both sides as they are supposed to. We managed to get it together and it looks fine but just not all the way into the bracket cushion on one side. If I knew then what I know not, we would have taken the core support to the guy and made sure when he assembled the radiator it would fit the core support.

It was not inexpensive, about $1,000. But that still less expensive than DeWitt reproductions if they made one for the LT1.

Don

[Patrick B.]

[Donald H.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Actually, I was a little concerned about the nose and fenders with the core support out, but it went back together without any issue. There is also a center support rod from the nose that bolts to the lower area of the core support. This also fit back without any issue. And I would have been more concerned if it were a C2. But I did replace the core support on my 67 a few years ago and didn't have any issue with that.

Since the radiator shop owner said he could get a correct core, we did not check Dewitt's.

Don

[Patrick B.]

[Donald H.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

The shop is Richard Radiator Shop

[Mike M.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

don and pat: there is a radiator shop that I use. its between Everette pa dn roaring springs pa. Clarks radiator shop. he's capable of recording anything I've taken him over the years. heater core, radiator. last one he did was for one of our 57 vets, 700 bucks. mike mccagh

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Mike- Would you recore a 70 LT-1 radiator that is not leaking when it is out of the car for an engine swap?

[Mike M.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

52 year old core---I'd definitely re-core it, especially since its out of the car. regards , mike

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Thanks Mike. Do you know how much they charge to re-core a heater core?

[Mike M.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

think 100 and change. for a c-1 heater core, which isn't much different than a c-2 heater core. his phone #is 1 814-652-5153. mike

[Patrick B.]

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

To follow up on my radiator recore, here are a couple of pictures. I am very happy with the result. It was less than I expected at $930.00 plus $55.20 Maryland sales tax. The core looks to me like it matches the original. The steel upper and lower pieces are my original pieces attached by the factory that made the core in the USA (CN I believe). The shop removed the dents from my tanks, bead blasted them, soldered the on the new core and painted then very nicely. It is really a nicely restored radiator, better than just recored by an old fashioned shop. I just sat in on my still dirty core support for the pictures and I have not put the WK9 tag back on yet, so don't criticize those things. Smitty asked about the tag when I brought the radiator in and would have taken care of it, but I didn't know at the time how meticulous and knowledgeable he was. I highly recommend this place for restoring our brass radiators that are no longer available.

[Tim S.]

Re: 1972 LT1 radiator

Glad it worked out for you. I am lucky enough to have a REALLY good radiator shop about 90 minutes away from me. They are a dying breed for sure.

Tim