Cold Case Radiator Top Plate

GNRick

Retired member
Joined
Mar 21, 2004
I realize this thread is 2 years old. Went to install my CC radiator today. Huge pita! The damn thing is too tall and too thick. Removed rubber bushings under and over the radiator. It's still too tall. Can't bolt down top plate. There is also no room on bottom plate to slip the dual spal fans in. Finally, tranny cooler line fittings hit the condensor.
 
As you found out, it is not a direct fit. You will have to do some reducing the thickness of the rubber pieces and do some cutting of the metal area near where the lines go into the radiator on the passenger side to adjust for the change from the stock unit to the CC unit.
 
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I'll post a couple more pictures if it helps. NOTHING ever fits good in these things so I just accepted that, plus I'm working on a hot air car so I have to adapt everything. However that being said the Cold case rad fit very easy for me. Cut the tab off on the rad support and it dropped right in. the toughest thing was the fittings on the late model turbo regal have the fittings on the front side of the rad where as the earlier models it was on the back. So I had to change over to late model hook ups. the brass was the only thing that fit the gap between the rad and the condenser. Performance world makes a fitting to adapt from inverted flare to AN/JIC which made it a lot easier.
 
I also have a Janis Stg2 trans, Hayden cooler and Magnafine billet filter housing, magnet and filter, with PTFE lines which are thicker. I got it all to fit, function and look excellent.
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Also I would suggest the Gates shrink style clamps. they spread the pressure nicely and don't look ugly. buy two extra when you do so if you ever had to cut them off you have two handy.
 
I realize this thread is 2 years old. Went to install my CC radiator today. Huge pita! The damn thing is too tall and too thick. Removed rubber bushings under and over the radiator. It's still too tall. Can't bolt down top plate. There is also no room on bottom plate to slip the dual spal fans in. Finally, tranny cooler line fittings hit the condensor.
I can post up a couple pictures if you want. All I can say is I found it easy to install. I'd have to search for the pictures, I'm pretty sure I documented the whole thing.
 
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I made sure to put rubber in places where metal could possibly rub. I bent some tube to fit to the existing 84 style lines. which you won't have to do if you have a late model. I removed a couple pieces that were not really doing anything.
 

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Here's an update. I jiggled the radiator, picked it up and put it back down. For some reason I was able to bolt down the top plate now. The radiator doesn't fit flush to the top plate like the stock one but it works. The top plate meets the radiator, if that makes sense. The fans still don't have room to slip into the bottom support , but I think I can make a bracket to deal with that.
 
Here's an update. I jiggled the radiator, picked it up and put it back down. For some reason I was able to bolt down the top plate now. The radiator doesn't fit flush to the top plate like the stock one but it works. The top plate meets the radiator, if that makes sense. The fans still don't have room to slip into the bottom support , but I think I can make a bracket to deal with that.
Make sure you freshen up the rubbers under the rad. Anything rubber will work, old hose, floor mats, whatever. As long as metal to metal is mitigated.
 
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