I have to make some decisions with the roadster to see it run. Turns out with it's super round shape and lower profile the track nose I built makes for a very small space to stuff a radiator. I have a core to chop down but then the old timer I asked about doing the work screwed me by offering up a spankin' new radiator dirt cheap. Problem is that it won't fit my nose. So I'm thinking this year the tracknose and hood panels will be hung on the wall in favor of a running car with a joe normal non cutting edge grille shell. I left the radiator measurements at home but I'm thinking it was 21 1/4 inches wide and 22 inches tall. Should it fit? Anyone have a 32-34 comercial grille for sale or trade? Here's what I'm giving up.
Dude, make the sacrifice and have a radiator built. That car is too RIGHT to undo it. Maybe we could get a cut rate at the rediator shop if we order two custom units at once. Just my $.02 JH
Yeah, function's gotta follow form here--that car would be boring with a regular grill. Can radiator be fitted farther forward beyond crossmember? Perhaps slanted drastically ala 1934 Ford? I'm pretty hazy about what's in that space and how big it is.
Kevin, I have one that I received on an Epay trade that I can bring over and you can see how it looks and measure it, or you could measure the space that you have available and roadtrip to the boneyard up north and poke around and find one that fits. The nose looks real good on your modified. Do you have any days off in early July? HAMB thrash for the KC area guys to help you get it to the drags? Just a thought. Chris
Alright alright. I'm going to take some pictures of what I have tonight and ask for help with ideas tomorrow. Some smart hamber is going to help me make existing parts work. sodbuster - I'd also like to see that radiator too. I'll call you tonight. Be warned, if it will work I'm going to beg you to put a price on it. I do have some vacation left but my "car help" Karma is pretty screwed right now. I feel like I've flaked out a couple times lately. See you all tomorrow.
I work tonight but off all day on Friday and Saturday during the day. Jens brother is in town, so we may be running around in the next couple of days. If the grill shell will work for ya', you can borrow it. But you have to see it first, I will toss it in trunk to see if it fabs up for you. Are you going to be home late on Friday afternoon? Chris
This is what it'll look like, Kevin... you don't want this look, do ya? I had my local radiator shop send my stock 34 ford commercial radiator to some radiator outfit in Denver to have a new 16" tall, hi pressure core made for it. It cooled like a mo-fo. Cost me $325 including shipping..I can call my radiator guy to find out the name of the denver shop if you have a stocker [or even a cut down] radiator to start with.
Damn you're right Rocky, that's ugly...definitely don't want that look. So who's the ****er you unloaded that pile on? The short story is that I tried a few differnt ways of fitting the rad. last night and it won't work. Large squarish thing in a small roundish opening - I won't bore you with the pictures. I think what I'm going to end up doing is making a cardboard radiator to fit and finding someone to build it...probably needs custom upper tank to make full use of the space too....I saw this coming. That heat sponge honeycomb style radiator was made for this application, it's just too damn much money. Anyone looking for a good '37 radiator might check the cl***ifieds soon.
There was a guy in I think street rodder last year that made br*** radiators that cooled great out of flanged and braised br*** tubes. It looked like a honeycomb pattern from the front. They had a 2 or 3 page article on him. I will see if I can find the article. It might be expensive but then again it might be something to look into. Cody
Yup - called it a heat sponge. Made by Br***works I think - I've got that article. I think they start at about $1100. I found honeycomb cores on the internet starting at $550 but you would have to have tanks for one of those. Add the fact that I'm plugging this into a dirty old flathead and some chunks of something are bound to eventually break loose and clog it....you can't have it "rodded out" like a normal core. I'm going to build the cardboard mockup and compare it to the '37 tanks I have. I'd have to section about 6" from the core '37 to make it work. Makes for a much smaller core but I'm going to get some info from Rocky and do some other things to get as much cooling as possible from it. Fan shroud, side and chin baffles inside the nose to keep air from just flowing around the radiator, maybe some big fat copper tubes from the heads to dump more heat...maybe I'll just make the engine compartment look like a moonshine still.
Good to know about the heat sponge. That the one I was talking about. I didn't know what they cost. You could buy some cool speed products with that kind of cash!
Here's an idea -- have you checked into the Speedway catalog to see what they use for thier 27t track nose?
Also check out circle track sources in general--sprint car stuff would be about right in shape. Anything will need new necks for a flathead, of course.
You're like some sort of genius or sometihng. They do have a chopped deuce radiator that should fit...set up for a Chevy though. A T-bucket radiator would fit easily but that's close to a grand for the stupid polished br*** finish. Cardboard and masking tape is still the next step before I start bugging manufacturers and walking salvage yards with a tape measure.
Here's a site that sells tractor and forklift radiators, with pictures and dimensions ... http://secure.ssbtractor.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi?category=John_Deere_Tractor_Parts&keywords=Radiator%20Core&and=1
"I do have some vacation left but my "car help" Karma is pretty screwed right now. I feel like I've flaked out a couple times lately..." Dude- your Karma bank is still pretty full. Thank you again for all those parts you sent me!!!! Your car looks awesome. Jay
Grim, Go down to your local farm store and grab a new 8N Ford tractor radiator. I know it'll fit those dimensions and WILL cool it. It'll run between $150 and 200. I used one on my modified with only an electric fan for cooling and it did great. I cut the 8N cap apart and saved the cool sheetmetal top and then put on a regular style pressurised 13lb. cap. Held my 350/auto at 180 doing parade laps.
Whatever you do, don't give up on that Track Nose! Something you might want to try ( I have heard a guy talk about it, but I have not tried it myself yet )is building your own header tanks. Find a Radiator shop that will work with you, so once you have got the header tanks built they will put a core in it for you ( no different than recoring an existing radiator ). The mating surface dimensions probably will have to be some sort of standard size, so they can match it up. The tanks themselfs can be built out of copper sheet, silver soldered together ( higher melting point then tin, so it won't fall apart when they put the core in it for you. Going that route might save you some money...
Be patient! Remember what you said about waiting as long as need be to do it "right"?? You thought I forgot about that... didn't you? FWIW, that nose is what is going to make your car stand out in a sea of others... look at a '64 Mustang radiator or maybe one out of a Falcon. Sam.
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