Does anybody repro the core support for a 69 Dart

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hemichuck

hemichuck

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i just took on a 1969 Dart GT convertible project and one of the things that need to be replaced is the core support. Looks like it took a hit on the passenger side long ago and was hacked back together. Anybody know of a source?
 
Does any other A body year support work? If so I may have one I could sell unless your partial to buying new
 
AMD sells the lower support, is that what you need or do you need the whole thing?
Radiator Supports | AMD 351-1067

If you need the whole support I don't believe it's reproduced. You'd have to find an original. Any year 67-76 would work, but if it was a later car you'd have to make sure it was a 22" core and not a 26" (if you wanted to be accurate anyway).
 
hemichuck said:
i just took on a 1969 Dart GT convertible project and one of the things that need to be replaced is the core support. Looks like it took a hit on the passenger side long ago and was hacked back together. Anybody know of a source?
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I happen to have a good whole one for sale in the exterior parts section right now. It's also off a 1969 car to boot.

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image.jpeg
 
[QUOTE="72bluNblu, post: 1971383912,

If you need the whole support I don't believe it's reproduced. You'd have to find an original. Any year 67-76 would work, but if it was a later car you'd have to make sure it was a 22" core and not a 26" (if you wanted to be accurate anyway).[/QUOTE]

67-72 core supports are different than 73-76 if he is restoring. The difference is the location of the radiator mounting nutplates.

I bought a 22" aluminum radiator for 73-76 A body because of the inlet, outlet locations were where i needed them. None of the radiator mount holes lined up to my 67 core support. No problem, i made my own radiator flanges from .125 aluminum sheet, and modified my new aluminum radiator it to fit my core support..
 
moparmat2000 said:
67-72 core supports are different than 73-76 if he is restoring. The difference is the location of the radiator mounting nutplates.

I bought a 22" aluminum radiator for 73-76 A body because of the inlet, outlet locations were where i needed them. None of the radiator mount holes lined up to my 67 core support. No problem, i made my own radiator flanges from .125 aluminum sheet, and modified my new aluminum radiator it to fit my core support..
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I wouldn't assume anything based on whether or not an aftermarket radiator lined up with the stock mounts.

The radiator mounting locations on my '71 Dart and my '74 Duster are in the exact same location, both are for 22" radiators.

That's not to say there are no other differences if you're worried about minor stamping variations or mounting hole locations, there are minor changes if you consider the whole range. But unless it's a 100% accurate restoration you'd be able to use any 67-76 core that had a 22" radiator. If it's a 100% accurate restoration you'd probably need one from 67-69, and maybe not even all of those years.
 
Keeo in mind your going to lose your body #'s if you swap out the whole thing
 
Sedanman said:
Keeo in mind your going to lose your body #'s if you swap out the whole thing
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Just cut out and reweld the section with the numbers into the new one if you do it right, a littlr bit of grinding and a little metal filler at the welds, it can look untouched.
 
Thanks for all the replies, it's a 273 car and not a numbers matching piece by any stretch so keeping the numbers is not that important to me. I've had this car stripped out to paint since 1994(don't judge me)and I never really paid that much attention to the core support but it's pretty wrinkled up so I will be contacting you all about pricing. This car has rust on the outside lower quarters,rockers but is solid in the floors,trunk and all the inside structures are good. Going to put in tubular K frame and front end parts and put in a nasty 408 with W2 heads with a 4 speed, unless I can find a Viper 6 speed for sale.
 
72bluNblu said:
I wouldn't assume anything based on whether or not an aftermarket radiator lined up with the stock mounts.

The radiator mounting locations on my '71 Dart and my '74 Duster are in the exact same location, both are for 22" radiators.

That's not to say there are no other differences if you're worried about minor stamping variations or mounting hole locations, there are minor changes if you consider the whole range. But unless it's a 100% accurate restoration you'd be able to use any 67-76 core that had a 22" radiator. If it's a 100% accurate restoration you'd probably need one from 67-69, and maybe not even all of those years.
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Not assuming. I knew the aftermarket rad being sold for 73-76 A body with 22 radiator was not going to be a direct fit in my 67. The dimensions on the mechanical drawings on the engineered cooling products website showed me that, however i was purchasing it specifically for the location of the inlet, and outlet of the hoses, then i made my own custom flanges out of .125" aluminum , JB welded and installed solid aluminum rivets. Now it fits exact. You can see the edges of my new flanges, and the rivets in the pic in the previous post
 
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dart4forte said:
Sequence number
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Depends on the year. Everything after '68 had a partial VIN stamped. '67 and '68 had the sequence number (and some of the years before too but I don't know the '64-'66 cars well). The OP's '69 should have a partial VIN stamped on the radiator support.

moparmat2000 said:
Very nice fab work from US car tool they do make some top notch stuff. Personally i went with my own custom made "US matt tool" 2×3 boxed lower radiator support. Its a true one of a kind. Dirt cheap too.

View attachment 1714969417
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Very nice work! Beautiful. :thumbsup:

May have been dirt cheap, but I bet it took some time. I always forget to factor that in. Yeah, my labor may be free, but I never have enough time. Great work though, looks a lot more factory than the other aftermarket lower supports out there.

moparmat2000 said:
Not assuming. I knew the aftermarket rad being sold for 73-76 A body with 22 radiator was not going to be a direct fit in my 67. The dimensions on the mechanical drawings on the engineered cooling products website showed me that, however i was purchasing it specifically for the location of the inlet, and outlet of the hoses, then i made my own custom flanges out of .125" aluminum , JB welded and installed solid aluminum rivets. Now it fits exact. You can see the edges of my new flanges, and the rivets in the pic in the previous post
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I think you missed my meaning. Looking at the picture of your core support, it appears that your radiator mounting locations are exactly in the same spot as on my '71, which are also in the exact same place as my '74 (I have swapped radiators between those two cars). What I was saying was, that aftermarked radiator wouldn't have been a bolt in on a '73-76 car either, it would have needed modification regardless of what the manufacturer said.

The only '67-'76 cars that should have the radiator mounting locations in a different spot are the later cars with 26" radiators, all the 22" radiator A-bodies seem to use the same locations.
 
The only '67-'76 cars that should have the radiator mounting locations in a different spot are the later cars with 26" radiators, all the 22" radiator A-bodies seem to use the same locations.
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If this is the case then when they made my 22 radiator they put flanges on it for a 26" one and are misinformed. Not one hole lined up with my 67. What i ordered was a 22" for a 73-76 A. At this point when it didnt fit and measured the same as theirvengineering drawings, i assumed 73-76 is/was different than 67-72 on the 22" radiator. I modded the mount flanges on the radiator to fit my car, and left the mount holes in the rad support where they were.

Thank you for the compliment on my lower radiator support crossmember. Yes it took an awful lot of time to make, and i have a fair bit of work left on it before i can put it in primer. however as nice as their core support is, i dont have or can justify spending $350. What i do have is a little time here and there between work, and family life.

I also have sheetmetal fab talent, access to a hydraulic shear and an 8' long sheetmetal metal brake, and a 4' long sheetmetal pan brake at work, so for the most part i fab whatever i need if i can. I copied the uscartool torquebox plates front and rear as well.

Basically things that i can make, i do not buy, this saves me cash for the items i cannot make and have to buy. I will be snapping pix of the UScartool rad support and archiving them, as the 69 notch i have for my son is pretty beat up in this area too. I may have to make a new one of these from scratch.

The next and last things i have to fab up are the support bracings at the upper control arm and shock tower area. I already have pix of the uscartool pieces, i just have to template it all out, and make the pieces.
 
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I replace them all the time the complete rad supports are different . Make sure the grill fits and all mounting holes for grille are there plus grille studs if putting a newer support in an older car. For example I used a 68 dart support in a 71 Duster. Removed the upper studs not needed and painted the support just to find out the sharks tooth grill didn't fit the cut outs in the support for the parking light fixtures were to small. There are minor differences that can be changed but make sure you fit your parts before paint.
 
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