Early Mustang radiator in a Model A mods?

What modifications did you guys make or fab to mount a Mustang radiator to your A? What type of brackets or mounts did you make, did you move the filler neck, what about the support rods from the shell to the firewall?

 

If it helps,we used a 65-67 Mustang in our 34 Chevy grill shell.
Looks nice and moved nothing.

 

64-66 Mustang radiators are a great budget piece, the radiator has different outlet positions on the bottom depending on V8 or 6 popper application.

I build the one in my old car out of flat steel, bent at the bottom so it would mount like a stock Model A one, bent the sides in so a shell would screw to it.

For the top mounts I ordered a reproduction steel Model A radiator bracket and welded it to the top. Worked out like a charm!

I have it laying on my sideyard right now so I could take a couple pictures for you if I remember. If I don't remember and no one else posts pictures send me a PM to remind me...

 

The Mustang/Falcon radiator is a nice low-budget answer to a hotrod radiator BUT while it does fit inside the T and A Ford shells it doesn't look good doing it. Since originally the T & A radiators had exposed radiator cores that closely fit the opening in the shell, the M/F radiator does not. The lower edge of the top tank is visible and so are the side straps and the lower tank unless the radiator is lowered behind the front crossmember enough to hide it.
Solution 1: make up a grille screen and mount it flush with the inside of the shell opening. Mount the radiator back a bit from the opening. Paint the grille black to match the radiator. Don't forget to fill any voids between the shell and the radiator so air is forced through the core rather than byp[***ing through the cracks, makes a nice difference in operating temp for your engine.

 

Here is another option.

http://www.dillonradiator.com/index.php?cPath=2_2100000

 

I ran my Mustang radiator upside down in a model a shell on a lowered truck because the bottom tank is smaller and slides father up in to the shell. The tank then will not be visable at the top.

 

Upside down like this.

 

Cool! But will that fit behind a 31 shell?

 

since the mustang rad has mounts for front mounting on a mustang ,it would not sit flush in my model A shell (plus its wider in front then the back) and the gap was noticable when veiwed from the front, so I removed the side mounts and swapped them side to side, a little soldering is all it took .This allowed the rad to sit flush againest the A shell when viewed from the front and made mounting easier since the wider part of the mounts was now at the back of the rad.

 

i have mounted a mustang rad in a shell for my 27 rpu, with a stock sbc, how have these been cooling for you guys? what fan? didnt mean to hijack your thread. havent got mine running yet , but close. thanks

 

This is a question I've asked a few times without any definitive answer! Good info fellas, thanks!

 

I used a 55 Studebaker radiator support narrowed to fit the mustang and inside my frame rails. then I welded some tabs on it for my shell to screw to.

you can see some of it here....

 

not much help here but our '40 chevy pickup (with sbc) is using a '69 mustang radiator ( I am GUESSING similar is size to the early ones) and we ran into issues with fan clearance...found that a S-10 has a fan that is smaller diameter than a sbc but will fit (with some clearancing of the mount holes, really simple and evident when you look at it) and seems to move lots of air, just an option maybe for those looking for fans in a similar situation...

 

It should be flush mounted. It is hard to do without building to fit the shell.


photos from http://thebr***works.net/Early_v8_Radiators.aspx

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I just made a mounting frame out of angle iron and square tubing that mounts to the original holes in the crossmember. I put 3/8" punched hole sheet metal in the shell to protect the core and to hide the gap. A radiator guy did the outlets for me. It works real well. I run a 13lb cap and Purple Ice and no thermostats. Will sit idling for 1/2 hour and not go over 185 degrees.

 

Have Model A with 32 shell. Fabbed a cradle for the radiator and the shell
mounts to the cradle. Also run a hood, this allows change in radiator with
out worries about the hood fitting.

 

What do you guys do on a channeled car to get the rad shell low enough in proportion to the cowl?

 

My bottum tank sits tween the frame rails

 

what are the dimension on a Must rad? width and height

 

i bought a speedway motors alum one and had to move the top outlet and widen the mounts to fit the framework on my 29A fibergl*** body
but my grill shel is a steel henry one my engine is SBC should work fine when done
the aluminum ones have 1/2 in wide tubes

 

Time to bring this thread back up to the top! Any additional tricks, tips and photos are appreciated!