wierd radiator?

[v30crewcab]

so the radiator in my 71 is a 3 core, but the driver side is 3core thick, and the pass side tank is 4core thick. what would this rad have come from? the tanks are usually the same size on both sides on most I've seen.
I don't think this was an original rad as the mounts on the pass side are too small for it to fit right.

[jumpsoffrock]

GM products from the late 60's and throughout the 70's often used radiators with the same height. The differences were in the width(frame to frame rail) and thickness(core/row).

I found this out years ago when I tried(easily) to find a factory 4 core for a '71 camaro project. I found that with very little modification I was able to stuff a large 4 core from a 1970 Cadillac. Then for fun I took the old camaro rad and stuck it in my '72 GMC, it essentially fits.

Then I decided I wanted a bigger factory brass rad for my '72 GMC. So I went to the junkyard and lucked out finding a 4 core from a 1971 Buick Riviera. It fit like a glove with few mods.



What's the point of my answer?
If that radiator is a factor brass GM radiator, it could be from an almost innumerable amount of models/applications over many many years. God knows unless you can find a part number.
If it really doesn't matter and you're just curious, then forget about it.

[mr.mud1]

i build my own rads,just did one for my big block 72 Cheyenne Super with A/C.the factory rad was a 3 row but the tanks and saddles they sit in,would accomodate a 4 row.i've built several rads but never saw one that didn't have the same size tank on each side,not saying it couldn't happen but never have seen one.if your saddle it sits in,won't fit,i guess that's the answer,somebody changed a tank,maybe one was damaged?who knows.

[72c20customcamper]

Sounds like someone put a four row tank on a three . Seems like a lot of work to me . But anything is possible

[Myself]

This sounds like the "passing through town and had trouble" type of repair. Radiator shop only had that one tank in the right height so they made it work to get the folks back on the road.