Projects Finally My '26 Chevy Roadster Build

Yes they do. Long wait I think and the price is out of my range. The Filling station sells cores both honeycomb and regular. Pricey but nothing is cheap. If I can figure out what I have and what has to be done to male it fit it might be worth it to get a honeycomb core and use my tanks??? I hate to think of driving around here with a $1,000 + radiator.

 

I think you would be fine with whatever inexpensive radiator that will fit the shell and the engine, painted black, with a honeycomb insert in front of it. Search online for "Perforated Hex Grill Mesh Sheet" and you will come up with many options that can be cut and formed to fit. You could be in business for under $200 or less.

 

@patmanta good point. Most people run something in front of the radiator anyways so if it’s the honeycomb look you dig it might be the way to go if you need a new set up

 

I'll have to see what I can find but will probably not try to make it look original.

 

is the one you have beyond repair?

 

The 26 cowl is 25 1/4" high. My 26 front crossmember is 2" below the frame top flange where the shell mounts. This crossmember is the one that has the crank hole through it.

The 27 cowl is a heavy 25 5/8" to a light 25 3/4" high. The front crossmember is 2 3/4" below the top frame flange. This one the crank goes through a tab mounted to the top of the crossmember. I was right about the 27 bottom tank not being flat across the bottom.

My avitar cowl was rotted off about 2 3/4" so I cut off 3".(27) The radiator looked real bad so I made two Z brackets to move the radiator forward and down to match the cut off cowl. (27 radiator) Was planning to find a 28 hood to make up the difference.

 

I have not had a shop look at my radiator to see if it is repairable but there is damage and some less than professional repair. here are some pictures of the back. The bottom tank is not flat. It goes up about the width of the mounting bracket. Both of the front crossmembers I have measure 2 1/2" from the mount surface to the top. Add another 5/32" to the top of the frame as it mounts inside the channel. I am going to pull the radiator out of the '27 shell and get some measurements tomorrow and see how well the holes align with the other shell.

 

That looks like a 27 radiator, but something is not right. I'll try to find a27 radiator to measure. Someone has cut out the crank hole.

 

There is some rust on the bottom of the shell and possibly the part below the crank hole is gone. It looks like the 2 top screws will fit the '25-'26 shell. The filler placement looks right and there seems to be provisions for two different locations for the side screws. I'll see tomorrow what happens.

 

if it holds water I would put it on there whether or not it is correct for the sake of getting the build going and keep the search for correct/perfect fitting solutions as a side project. Put whatever you have that is close enough to make the car run and drive now and then worry about making it 'just right' later. At this stage, close enough is good enough and gets you to your first test drive A LOT sooner than obsessing over getting something perfect which you can change with relative ease later.

 

That is a good thought and I agree. I'm thinking about this now because I'm getting ready to rivet the front crossmember in the frame. There wasn't one when I got the frame and there are several options, I have two. The radiator mounts on the crossmember and locates the shell and the hood. I will run a full hood so this is stuff that is best worked out now. There is not much adjustment. There are so few '25-'26 Chevy roadsters out there and many of them have been Fordicated partly to avoid dealing with some uniquely Chevrolet issues and partly to take advantage of the huge Ford based aftermarket parts supply. There is a $%!# pile of Ford radiators out there maybe one will work for me but I have to make the exact measurements first to see.

 

26 radiator
Things are coming clearer!




27 radiator "support/attachment to shell". (my pic.s painted red oxide) Looks like what you have in your 27 shell!
Next to last and last pic.s are of a 26 "radiator surround/attachment to shell.(26 the shell is what attaches to the front cross member. (kept breaking out radiator shells) It is missing the top, but the top is just a strap that goes from one side up over the radiator (with a hole for file neck) and down the other side. Both 26 and 27 surround/attachment to shell are held together by two tapered sheet metal wedges. I have only one 27 radiator to measure (take pic.s of and it is in a parts car in the black berries!!!!!

 

Thanks, that helps a lot. The pictures are great and show the difference in that and what I have.
I took the radiator out of the '27 shell but I did not remove the surround. I put water in it and at first there were two spurting leaks but one stopped, probably from trash inside. I feel pretty sure they could be fixed and I'm sure I could straighten a lot of the fins and make it presentable. Would it cool my engine? It is too tall and doesn't fit either shell properly. If I used these tanks and had a new core fitted I could adjust the height. The top isn't perfect but I could live with it. The tank shows slightly in the upper corners.

The pictures are just come comparisons of the shells. Showing the difference in height with the bottoms aligned and difference in hole with the bottom of the core reveal lined up. With the radiator in the '26 shell you can see the mount sticking out the bottom. That is how much too tall it is. Only the two top screw holes lined up. Look closely and you can see one of the leaks. You were right the crank hole in the '27 was cut.

 

GG2, Could you Measure the '26 radiator? Core height & width, overall height & width. Top tank height and top to where bottom mount bots to frame frame.
Griffen makes a series of aluminum radiators that looks really close. I'm pretty sure I can fab a mount and side brackets and make a change or two.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/401554928981

 

Can do. May be a day or so, I've got hay in the windrow with rain coming!

 

First things first. Wet hay on the ground is a bad thing! I hope you get it in.

 

Let me know if this is OK or need clarification!

 

Thanks! I'll do some checking. Did you get the hay in?
Snow here today. It won't last long. Had a bear in the yard this morning. Just moving through I hope. Knocked the garbage bin over but didn't get into it.

 

It was sprinkling when I bailed it so have a few wet spots. But it is in the bale, I have three yearlings that will make fast work of the few bricks before they mold! The rest of the rain has fizzled so far, but still a chance through mid week.
You can keep the bear! I've heard that they can make quite a mess!

 

Spring bear isn't bad eatin if he hasn't been into garbage .

 

See it a little easier.

 

I need to get my hands on some of the repos made for Model As so I can make some close up comparisons. I 'm sure there are some sitting around near me. Small mods would be fine especially on an aluminum one.

 

I figured out how to remove the Bowtie emblem from the '27 shell. It is a press fit and after cleaning it with a brass brush and soaking it for a couple of days with Liquid Wrench, all I could find at the time. I was able to tap it out using a small hammer and plastic tent peg. I put the shell face on a padded shop stool to catch the emblem and protect it and the shell from being pounded on a hard surface. The back bent a little but I can fix that and it should be easy to press into the '26 shell when it's ready.

 

Cool

 

I went out to see if one of the tools I got to help with the riveting will work and I had a visiter.

 

...A wiggly yard stick...location, location...

 

Tis' the season! A good rattler is a dead rattler.

 

Our friend in town killed a baby yesterday too. Rattle snakes don't lay their eggs. The babies emerge ready to bite. I told her to search the area for more.
I took our newest dog to a rattle snake avoidance class Wednesday. She passed but I guess I didn't. Really I don't think she can avoid them here and it is expensive when they get bitten. They can learn not to mess with them.

 

Maybe ya need a mongoose and a dog.

 

My Taurus Judge does a great job but its too big to pack around all the time. A mongoose is self motivated. Really I'd rather have the snakes than the rodents but I prefer the non poisonous varieties.

I went out for a while this morning and finally got the front cross member and about 1/2 the frame coated with Rust Doctor. I really like the stuff and I can not believe how little of it is used. A spot on my pickup floor, the crossmember, and almost 1/2 the frame took about a cup! Maybe I'll finish the frame this evening.

What paint would you guys use on the brake drums?