22” or 26” Champion ? Can’t decide

If your concern is having to cut the front opening larger for a 26", I think people worry too much about that. Air isn't light rays and doesn't have to flow thru in a straight line. It will spread out to flow thru the whole radiator, perhaps not as evenly, but close enough. Particularly true at idle when the fan is pulling it thru, and which is where overheating most commonly occurs. Many B-body radiators are too tall for an A-body. Some people have cut and peeled down the lower radiator support so the hood would close, but such hacks are ...

I didn’t open up the core support on my car for the 26” radiator. It really doesn’t leave that much of the core covered. And as you pointed out, when the fan is running it pulls air through the whole thing. When the fan isn’t running you might lose a little efficiency, but I’ve never had an issue with my car getting too hot.

Don’t know about the B body radiator, but an E body radiator fit fine in my Duster. In fact the champion radiator in my car is listed for an E body. I know there’s a few of the champion radiators that are too tall, but that’s a different story. The CC374 fit without any cutting, I did a little rework on the lower support with a dead blow hammer, but that was more to straighten it than modify it.