Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

[Scott S.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

Scott - Nice photos. The location of the hole shown in your photos looks to be exactly where it is located on our 67 w/C60 which has the original SUPPORT ASM.

Kirk - FYI, the horn ground wire on our car has a black covering.

Pete

Pete,

That's very interesting. If I am correct that only non-A/C cars had radiator supports with crossed reinforcement rods, then whoever repaired this car with an incorrect radiator support must have known enough about the correct C60 radiator support to drill the ground wire attaching hole in the right place.

I don't think the Assembly Manuals were available to the public yet in 1971 (when these front-end repairs were made), so the mechanic (it was a Corvette specialty shop) either duplicated the hole position based on personal knowledge/recollection of the C60 radiator support, or he had a correct C60 radiator support in the shop to use as a guide. Either way, it makes me wonder why he didn't also remove the crossed reinforcement rods, it seems the Condenser would fit much better without them being in the way.

[Peter L.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

Scott - Regarding the SUPPORT ASM, I'd say if the support with the bracing was the "new & improved" version, it was better and/or if everything fit with the newer version with bracing "time is money" so why remove the bracing. Generally back then originality usually wasn't an issue. Who knew they would last this long. Pete

[Neal K.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

Scott,
What do you base your conclusion that the radiator support for a 67 with ac did not have the additional crossed reinforcement rods? I have been unable to determine the deletion in looking at UPC C 60 page B-1.
Can you enlighten me.
Thanks
Neal

[Scott S.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

Scott,
What do you base your conclusion that the radiator support for a 67 with ac did not have the additional crossed reinforcement rods? I have been unable to determine the deletion in looking at UPC C 60 page B-1.
Can you enlighten me.
Thanks
Neal

Neal,

Sorry for the delay, I was out of town last week.

Below is a picture of the different radiator supports offered by Corvette Central, one for cars with C60, the other for cars without C60. Long Island Corvette has what appear to be the same parts, Paragon probably has them too, CC's pictures are larger and therefore better for purposes of illustration.

Several months ago I found an article in a back issue of Restorer Magazine showing an NOS example of a midyear small block radiator support (GM 3894595) WITH cross-rod reinforcements, but the article also mentioned the C60 radiator supports without the crossed reinforcement rods. I will look for it this evening and post back here with the date/volume/issue number.

I have not found much other information on this topic, if anyone has further information, please post. FWIW, on these reproduction radiator supports, it looks like the small hole (.152-.156") for the C60 right hand horn ground wire attachment is pre-drilled in BOTH the C60 and the non-C60 supports.


EDIT: The GM part number for the 1967 small block radiator support is 3894595 (11-13-A4, Item 1). The part number referenced in the Restorer article mentioned above was the service replacement radiator support, GM 3858963.

[Scott S.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

Neal,

The Restorer Magazine article I mentioned in the previous post is titled "Save that Radiator Support — Don't Trash It!", by Ron Dembowski. It is located in the Spring 1987 issue (Volume 13, Number 4).


Excerpts:

"There were different supports for each year and applications for big blocks, air cars and fuel injected cars."

"The support I received was from a 1965 air coupe, which the lower channel was totally gone. (Note: there is no cross braces in the front of the support in order to accommodate the condensing coil for the air conditioning unit.)" (picture shown in article)


I have not found a different part number for a C60 radiator support in the '67 AIM, but the drawings shown on C60-B2 are missing the cross rod reinforcements.


EDIT: I take that back. There IS a different part number for the C60 radiator support in the 1967 AIM. It is listed on C60-B1, on the RH side of the page, near the top. It is not itemized, but is shown as being installed the same as regular production, and given the part number 3894596. I have not found this C60 radiator support part number listed in the P&A catalog, which probably indicates it was a production-only part.

[Scott S.]

Re: Help AC Car Pass Side Horn Mount

The 1967 P&A (October 1966 printing) has the radiator supports in Group 1.270

It appears that the design changed during the 1966 model year, because for 1966 it lists:

66 . . . CORVETTE (327) (1st design) . . . . . SUPPORT ASSY. . . . . . . . 3886860
66 . . . CORVETTE (327) (2nd design) . . . . . SUPPORT ASSY. . . . . . . . 3894595

For the 1967 model, no "1st" or "2nd" design is mentioned, but the 2nd design part number is listed:
67 . . . CORVETTE (327) . . . . . SUPPORT ASSY. . . . . . . . 3894595


The same Group (1.270) lists the following for 1963-1965, showing different radiator supports for cars with and without C60:
63-65 . . . CORVETTE (exc. C.A.C., 396) . . . SUPPORT ASSY. . . . . . . . . 3858963
63-65 CORVETTE w/C.A.C. . . . . . . . . . SUPPORT ASSY. . . . . . . . . . 3874768

McNicholl's book "How to Rebuild Corvette Rolling Chassis 1963-1982" lists all of the various 1963-1982 radiator support part numbers (including GM 3894596 for 1966-67 with C60) on pages 203-204. He says that DeWitts has replacement radiator supports and lists DeWitts #431 as the correct replacement for 1966-67 small block with air conditioning. I checked the DeWitts website, but found no section for radiator supports. As of today, DeWitts #431 is a 16" chrome fan.