How To Replace the Radiator in a '63-'66 A-body

By Matt Cramer

As many early A-body owners know, it's difficult to find certain parts for most A-bodies built before 1967. Fortunately, most drivetrain parts are availible, so you can at least keep your car on the road even if you can't find such luxuries as windsheild washers or a complete set of chrome.

Unfortunately, the one essential part my '66 Dart needed was a radiator, which is one of the few vital parts you can't easily find in a parts store or salvage yard. Various attempts to seal the radiator had inevitably began to leak within a few months or even a few days. So I had no choice but to replace the radiator, but finding a replacement would be problematic.

I knew that searching for a used original radiator could take months, which I wasn't prepared to spend. As you probably know, the later A-bodies used a wider radiator which will not fit in the earlier engine compartment. And a custom fabricated replacement would run $270, which I also wasn't about to spend if I could find an alternative. So, I took the classic Slant Six owner approach: my father and I decided to find a similar radiator from a junkyard car and adapt it to my Dart.

Much to my surprise, I discovered that there is a radiator which is nearly a bolt in for any '63-'66 A-body. In fact, if you have a manual transmission and the stock fan, this radiator is a bolt in with the proper hoses. The radiator I am refering to is a down-flow model from an F-body such as an Aspen or Volare. Note: Some F-bodies have cross flow radiators, and I'm not sure if it's possible to install one of those in an early A-body. You might want to grab the overflow tank from the donor car while you're in there, as it will be easier to install than an aftermarket tank because it is narrower.

The radiator will actually bolt up to the A-body radiator mount, but there are four problems, none of which require any particullarly expensive tools to overcome.

The first problem is that some aftermarket cooling fans on an A-body won't quite clear the F-body radiator. I've heard of others who have done this swap with the stock fan and haven't had this clearance problem, but the previous owner on my Dart had installed an aftermarket flex fan after ruinining the original. There are two workable approaches to this: Modify the fan, or modify the radiator. Getting a stock fan will provide adequate clearance, and many aftermarket electric fans will provide ample space.

However, if you've got a fan on there that won'd fit and can stand to have a slightly cobbled together look, do what we did: bend the radiator's mounting brackers toward the back of the car with a hammer so that the radiator will sit farther forward. Then redrill the upper mounting holes, which will have been brought slightly inward by this hammering. It may look a bit tacky to someone who takes a close look, but it works.

The second problem is that the Aspen only uses two mounting holes instead of four, but the extra holes are easily drilled using the original radiator as a template.

Next, the upper radiator hose attaches a little furter to the right on the Aspen radiator than on the Dart, so the stock upper hose will not reach all the way. A hose meant for a 225 powered Aspen from your local parts store will cure this. I used a flex-type hose, but pre-molded hoses should work too. The lower hose will attach as normal.

Finally, if you are running an automatic transmission, you'll find that one of the nipples for the transmission cooling lines is further over than on the original radiator. However, fabricating a new forward part of the line using a piece of flared 5/16" tubing from your local parts store will let you hook up the transmission cooler easily.

Installing an F-body radiator into an early A-body is fairly easy and can be just what you need to solve your leakage or overheating problems, while spending less money than you would pay for either a used original or a reproduction, assuming you can find either one.