Tanks, cores and a question

[z28z11]

After reading a recent topic about fan clutches, I decided to research my radiators on my cars to make sure of numbers and originality.

Here's what I found, all Harrison radiators (thank goodness):

June '68 built 1968 Z Left tank IH Right tank OD. Date code "E". 21" three row core.
Dec. '68 built 1969 L78 Left tank IH Right tank OD. Date code "L". 23" three row core. *
Jan. '69 built 1969 Z Left tank IH Right tank CB. Date code "A". 21" three row core.
March '69 built 1969 Z11 Left tank IH Right tank OF. Date code "A". 21" three row core. A/C car.

The L78 is the question. There is no visual evidence of this radiator ever being re-cored, definitely a 23" three row, dated correctly for the car, yet the tank codes (in my estimation) should be IL and OO. Doesn't appear as if this was a small block recore, tanks and upper and lower core brackets are correct, manual trans tanks, too. Tag removed by someone right before the car was purchased.

Comments ? Opinions ? All are welcome -

Regards,
Steve

[ko-lek-tor]

I, too, have a BB car 12B Dec 68. It came with a UY, with IO and OO tanks, like it should have. My post on this car shows a pic of the radiator. It has curved neck. It had the original core until I replaced it 2 years ago using the original top and bottom plates. One thing that I question is that it has a J date =Sept. Not sure why it is so early except it was probably used because of a shortage as CRG report states that substitutes were used, I will add, usually the next bigger radiator substituted, as I understand.
I also have another radiator I acquired recently and saw the car it came from. It is a 12C Dec 68 BB Camaro. it still has the tag=ZD with correct tanks, original core with OO & IL tanks with a date of M=Dec.
Steve, your BB radiator sounds like an real oddity and perhaps a victim of the same shortage at the same time. I really don't know, but I guess anything is possible. Both of my radiators are manual trans. type also.I'll add, all cars referred to are Norwood cars as I live close to Nor. Plant.

[VINCE Z28]

Here is a original  L78 tag off my former car, LA built 09 D 68. It reads IL, OO, 68, ZD, R

[VINCE Z28]

Ko-lek-tor your 12B Dec. 68 car is a 427 425 hp ?

[ko-lek-tor]

Ko-lek-tor your 12B Dec. 68 car is a 427 425 hp ?

I wish Vince. No, it is the first car in my signature below,SS/RS 396. That rolling excrement in my avatar, heading to the body shop soon, I am hoping. And yes, it has a curved neck 4 core.

[VINCE Z28]

Is that the orange car? I too had a 69 RS/SS 396, But had to part with it in May 2009. Lost my job of 25 years went to school for 2 years for HVAC. Can't live on unemployment so sold the L78 to a guy in West Virginia.

[KurtS]

Steve,
I'd say that's not the original rad for the L78. Sound like it could be out of a 67-8 L30/L48 w/ AC.

Just for reference:  http://www.camaros.org/coolingsystems.shtml#tag

[z28z11]

Kurt,

I agree with the possibility. Funny that it happens to be a 23/3 core, dated "L". The radiator has been with the car for a long time, definite L78 as we have discussed in the forum previously, yet the tank codes are wrong. Sure wish the tag had not been lifted from the car before it was secured (sat in a body shop parking lot for several years, paint behind the tag area was still clean when we picked the car up like it had just been removed that day). At least three of the four are correct and present -

Thanks,
Steve

[z28z11]

I read this in the CRG report (which is an excellent source of info, as all of the reports are), and raises another question. I'm not gonna flog this to death, but it goes back to anomalies that may have existed in the production/assembly lines (and continues today):

 "Note: the late 68 L30/L48 V01/AC radiator is indicated in GM documentation to change from the 23" version to the 21" 3010178 (manual) and 3010179 (auto) radiators. These usages have not been verified. In fact, two late production 1968 manual cars with V01 have been documented with the 21" 3017132 ZB radiator. This would suggest the radiator size did change to 21" on these applications, but that GM documention is incorrect on which radiator was used."

If that was the case, this 23" 3 row radiator in my L78, marked "L" as a date code, would possibly be a '67 production to exist as an early '68 assembly, correct ? You gotta like a mystery -

Regards,
Steve

 

[KurtS]

It was used in all of 67 and almost all of 68. Tag would be a lot smaller on a 67.

[janobyte]

04D  68 Z