My 40 Dodge Truck Build - Maybe a 41 LOL

[Old Iron]

Right on, looks good

 

[bob w]

Very nice. What is Raptor?

 

[Couper]

Hey Bob,

Raptor is a 2K Spray on Bed Liner. It's a few steps up from an undercoating, very hard, waterproof and has some sound proofing quality. It is applied with a gun that leaves a smooth bumpy sort of finish like you find on the rockers of some new cars.

https://www.raptorcoatings.com/us/en/products#.Y0bkkEzMLb1

 

[Couper]

Radiator Builder Needed

Hey Guys,

I'm getting around to fabricating my front grill, rad supports ect and need a radiator. I can't seem to find what I need 26" OAH not including the filler neck (it's going to go thru the grlll top at center) Core that's 22 wide with mounting brackets that stick out to the sides. Passenger side lower connection and driver side upper. I'd like the upper tank to be curved and need trans cooling connections. After snooping around online and not finding anything much to my shigren I may have to have one built. Any ideas?

 

[bruno]

Champion radiators list all of their sizes. 32 ford may work with moving the filler neck.

 

[Couper]

Thanks Bruno I'll check that site again.

 

[zzrodder]

Building custom radiators is a dying art, cheap aluminum imports have put many companies out of business. Last time I inquired (4 yrs ago) about a custom rad made by my local rad shop, they said at least 1000.00 Canadian (copper core, brass tanks) and that was even if they could source the materials, harder to get and the prices are skyrocketing....

 

[Couper]

I talked to a guy at Entropy Radiators and they want 2200.00 for a radiator and a 2 fan set up. That's nuts. I found one at Cold Case for 443.00. No fans
https://www.coldcaseradiators.com/p...ck-aluminum-performance-radiaotr-chevy-engine

The core is 21.5 x 20.75.... angled top w trans cooling lines. The overall height is 27.5. It means I have to build bracketry and it will be to the rear of my cross member not above. I only have 18" above the cross member and that's OAH tank to tank. Not big enough to cool my HEMI.

The bottom of the tank will be behind the bottom solid areaof the grillmy cross member so it'll be protected. I can also make a U shaped cover to protect it further.

Any direction from the master?

 

[zzrodder]

The rad on Hercules is for a 32 Hiboy and its a 3 row core 20 x 17" - it barely gets the job done on a hot day in traffic, often getting up to 220, and its just stock Ford 360 - your pick has a wider core and looks to have a larger tank, plus having the filler on top allows a little more coolant space in the top tank.
I didn't want to run electric fans and the honkin' large air spring crossmember kept me from putting it behind, so I guess I created my own monster...
I'm sure you'll get it worked out [P[P

 

[Couper]

Well I ordered a radiator.... core size is 17 x 22 not much bigger than yours. I had to go with 22 to get between the frame rails. I couldn't go any higher than the 17" with the overall height of 22.5. That will give me 4" of travel before the cross steering bar hits the bottom of the radiator. Looks like the transverse spring will only travel 3" so I should be ok. If it was to travel 4" the cross bar would hit the bottom of the frame anyway. I only got's what I got's

Even with this I'll have to spread the 2 grill shells 1 1/2" as pictured for the extra room. I could put them together and move the whole grill up but then you'd see the whole I beam and I like this look better.

I cut up the hood to make a tear drop sorta extension to the grill shell......it needed to be larger front to back to come past the radiator. I'm gona sheet metal / body work that in around the edges in 4 or 5" to finish it off. It's gona be a lot of work on the grill unit but it should look cool when done.

BTW...that bottom grill shell is junk. I have a new one coming from DMC. The top was from them, no rust at all. I just used the junker for a mock up so I know where / how to cut it to fit the frame rails.

Some pic's

 

[Old Iron]

 

[lowbudget50]

I love everything about it!!

 

[BillM]

Looking awesome Coup!

 

[dutch]

yes... [cl

 

[Couper]

Thank you guys!

 

[MercuryMac]

I like the way you put a wee bit of hood and side curtain behind the grille.
Keep on tinkering.

 

[DozerII]

Looks real good Cooper, I'm running pretty much the same rad with my Third Gen Hemi with no over heating issues

 

[Couper]

Thanks Merc!

Good to hear Dozer!

 

[Couper]

Play'in w cardboard

So this is my idea.... I'd like to somewhat close in the engine side of the grill surround for a clean look. I still have a lot of things to figure out.

First I have to build the radiator support which will basically be 1 piece of angle iron welded to the top of the frame rail on each side for the radiator flange to bolt to.

The lower half of the grill has slots in it so the frame rails can slide thru. Once the grill is in place it will bolt up to some additional angle bracketry that comes off the front side of the rad support angle iron.

To get the grill to slide on the frame and pass the radiator & support angles the white mocked up pieces of cardboard will have to bolt on. If it was going to be a rusty rat I'd just utilize the center hinge but that jazz will be flapping and chipping up the paint. I'm going to lose the hinge and weld a strip in there.

It would be easy to bolt the hood extension black piece to the red grill but that will also be a &6%$ show.

I'm thinking a 3/8 round welded at the edge of the black at the tear drop, then just behind it an angle or flat so that piece slides in and bolts.

Unless of course you guys are seeing something I'm not at the moment

 

[DozerII]

Sounds like a solid plan. [[[P[P