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'55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative
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GaryS
Posted 2018-03-24 2:38 PM (#560415)
Subject: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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When I bought a ’56 Plymouth Belvedere to rebuild, and a second car to use for parts, neither came with a drivetrain or a radiator.

Now it’s time to find a radiator, but stock parts are rare, and likely in need of a re-core.

I had also installed a ’66 318 Poly instead of the 277 it originally came with. The engines are different in that the inlet and outlet are on opposite sides. Since my car is not stock, my first thought was to have a custom aluminum radiator built, but the price was well over $500. Next, I checked Champion and was surprised that they had a listing for the ’55 and ’56 Dodge and Plymouth...and it was on sale for a reasonable $199. 98! I would still have the inlet and outlet problem, and since they charged $100 for each part moved, I was still looking at $400. When I called the salesman, he said he would look for something that wouldn’t require that much custom work.

He was back in a few minutes and told me to check out their part number CC1635 as the dimensions were close. It looked like it would fit, so I ordered one and it arrived in five days. Yesterday I fit checked it and it’s almost perfect, even the mounting brackets! The only thing I had to do is drill one .25 hole in the driver’s side bracket.

Their usage list for that part number includes various Small block A and B body Mopars in years ’63-’67, so if you are facing an expensive repair for your stock radiator and are avoiding an aluminum version for esthetic purposes, you might find a stock Mopar radiator from those more popular years to make a later Poly look closer to stock in your ’55-’56.

For what it’s worth, it has a 3-row core and transmission cooler connections
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56D500boy
Posted 2018-03-24 3:35 PM (#560420 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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Good find. I paid twice that to have my OE 56 Dodge rad re-cored.

This: http://www.championradiators.com/product/CC1635

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Old Ray
Posted 2018-03-24 5:27 PM (#560423 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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.....from Gary's Blog;

 





(Radiator Front View.JPG)



Attachments
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Attachments Radiator Front View.JPG (25KB - 370 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-03-24 10:48 PM (#560444 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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When I considered doing something similar, I found that a '56 Chevy Truck radiator looked pretty close if you have the outlets swapped, and a '56 Ford truck if you didn't. I don't remember the details of them now, but that's what I remember. I think the truck radiators are a little taller than the A-body version and may fit further down on the support. Fortunately, my original radiator had a trans cooler already installed into it so I didn't have to swap it out or mess with it at all.

Edited by Powerflite 2018-03-24 10:50 PM
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DepsilonD
Posted 2018-04-02 2:09 PM (#560958 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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Excellent information GaryS! I need to get back on your blog!
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mikes2nd
Posted 2018-04-02 3:18 PM (#560967 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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i picked up this at summit racing hq inventory clearance sale for 50$ I am using a chevy big block water pump also so the inlet/outlets are correct now.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-380308





(sum-380325_cp.jpg)



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Attachments sum-380325_cp.jpg (20KB - 334 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-04-02 3:32 PM (#560971 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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I'm not a fan of crossflow radiators in '50's cars. I just don't like the way they look. With an aluminum downflow radiator, you can at least paint it black and make it look more like the original.
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Mstrat2727
Posted 2018-04-03 1:10 AM (#561027 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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Same here for a 57 custom royal and it fit great!!!
63 mopar!

Edited by Mstrat2727 2018-04-03 1:12 AM
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-22 11:29 AM (#568834 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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great info here guys! i joined just to reply in this thread. my father in law has a 55 savoy that needs a radiator. local shops want $800 to recore with tube and fin, not even the honeycomb! armed with the info here i did search on ebay for 55 F100 rads. most of the aluminum radiators look too modern/racey with flat surfaces and hard bends. i did find one thats stamped and i think may look pass-able if painted black. what do yall think of this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/POLISHED-STAMPED-TANKS-KKS-3-ROWS-ALUMINUM-...

im sure i would need to etch the surface to make the paint stick and not flake off looking worse than no paint... what would yall suggest for that?
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-22 11:32 AM (#568835 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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i forgot to mention. his car has what im told is a 318, its a poly for sure, factory 4bbl carb. it was his grandfathers car bought new and they all say it has never been changed. everything ive read tells me its not a 318, but the rad discharge is on drivers side and rad inlet is on the middle/pass side.
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-08-22 1:37 PM (#568840 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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That's a great choice. Just make sure that the inlet & outlet position and size will work for you. I love the indents in the top & bottom of it to make it look more factory. That looks good enough that I am tempted to install something similar in my '58.
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-08-22 1:39 PM (#568841 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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Oh, and if you paint it with self-etching primer first, after wiping it down with solvent, that should make it stick pretty well.
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-22 2:18 PM (#568847 - in reply to #568840)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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Powerflite - 2018-08-22 1:37 PM

That's a great choice. Just make sure that the inlet & outlet position and size will work for you. I love the indents in the top & bottom of it to make it look more factory.


thats exactly what i was thinking. i will get some measurements tonite. and post findings tomorrow. i measured the inlet and outlet on his old rad (in the bed of my truck) and they look to be the same. 1 1/2" inlet, 1 3/4" outlet.

Edited by mike potts 2018-08-22 2:23 PM
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1960fury
Posted 2018-08-22 5:41 PM (#568866 - in reply to #568834)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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mike potts - 2018-08-22 11:29 AM

great info here guys! i joined just to reply in this thread. my father in law has a 55 savoy that needs a radiator. local shops want $800 to recore with tube and fin, not even the honeycomb! armed with the info here i did search on ebay for 55 F100 rads. most of the aluminum radiators look too modern/racey with flat surfaces and hard bends. i did find one thats stamped and i think may look pass-able if painted black. what do yall think of this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/POLISHED-STAMPED-TANKS-KKS-3-ROWS-ALUMINUM-...

im sure i would need to etch the surface to make the paint stick and not flake off looking worse than no paint... what would yall suggest for that?


Looks great! Wish i found these before I bought a Champion radiator, has roundes edges but still looks too modern (and leaks now).
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-22 8:56 PM (#568878 - in reply to #568866)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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1960fury - 2018-08-22 5:41 PM

mike potts - 2018-08-22 11:29 AM

great info here guys! i joined just to reply in this thread. my father in law has a 55 savoy that needs a radiator. local shops want $800 to recore with tube and fin, not even the honeycomb! armed with the info here i did search on ebay for 55 F100 rads. most of the aluminum radiators look too modern/racey with flat surfaces and hard bends. i did find one thats stamped and i think may look pass-able if painted black. what do yall think of this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/POLISHED-STAMPED-TANKS-KKS-3-ROWS-ALUMINUM-...

im sure i would need to etch the surface to make the paint stick and not flake off looking worse than no paint... what would yall suggest for that?


Looks great! Wish i found these before I bought a Champion radiator, has roundes edges but still looks too modern (and leaks now).


That stinks man. Sorry to hear.

Got home and did some measuring. Just set his oem rad back in the car on the frame part the runs under the rad to the support so we just had to measure in one place, at the top. It looks to have 5.5-6” of clearance to the hood. This is good as the rad is 4” taller than the oem (best i can figure). So i will be ordering one. I will keep you guys updated.

Just curious, guys on different forums can be a little touchy about thread-jacking... should i start a new thread of my own when i get the rad, or is it cool to keep posting about it here in this one?
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Powerflite
Posted 2018-08-22 9:05 PM (#568880 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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As long as it is relevant to the original title (and it certainly is), just post it here. The only place you need to worry more about thread jacking is in the member rides section, but people here are pretty cool about it for the most part.
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57chizler
Posted 2018-08-23 1:14 PM (#568904 - in reply to #568834)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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mike potts - 2018-08-22 8:29 AM

i did find one thats stamped and i think may look pass-able if painted black. what do yall think of this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/POLISHED-STAMPED-TANKS-KKS-3-ROWS-ALUMINUM-...

That's 26" wide, the original '55 Plymouth is 22". Will probably need major core support mods to fit that.
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GaryS
Posted 2018-08-23 1:37 PM (#568906 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative



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I started this thread and have absolutely no problem with all the radiator info being combined on one thread. The 55 and 56 models are sort of step children, so It beats having to sort out a half-dozen ancient posts to find a variety of info!
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-23 2:34 PM (#568909 - in reply to #568904)
Subject: RE: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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57chizler - 2018-08-23 1:14 PM

That's 26" wide, the original '55 Plymouth is 22". Will probably need major core support mods to fit that.


well... i guess i will need to do some more measuring tonite. glad i saw your post, i was just about to order it.
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mike potts
Posted 2018-08-23 2:36 PM (#568910 - in reply to #568906)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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GaryS - 2018-08-23 1:37 PM

I started this thread and have absolutely no problem with all the radiator info being combined on one thread. The 55 and 56 models are sort of step children, so It beats having to sort out a half-dozen ancient posts to find a variety of info!


sounds like a good place!

GaryS - 2018-08-23 1:37 PM

I started this thread and have absolutely no problem with all the radiator info being combined on one thread. The 55 and 56 models are sort of step children, so It beats having to sort out a half-dozen ancient posts to find a variety of info!


thanks bud...
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mike potts
Posted 2018-09-21 3:21 PM (#570519 - in reply to #560415)
Subject: Re: '55-'56 Plymouth Aluminum Radiator Alternative


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well, we got the above linked radiator, its a little tall and the outlet is in a bad place (close to the frame), so i will be going to a local welding guy and getting him to move the outlet up a couple inches. also will be bending some flat metal for side "stands" to mount it to the radiator support, tilting the top backwards. this will basically make the rad parallel with the cooling fan and about 2" away from it, which will also give more height.
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