69 barracuda grille depth

-
moparmat2000

moparmat2000

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 13, 2010
Messages
20,872
Reaction score
10,846
Location
Grand Tetons
If somebody has a 69 cuda here who's willing to take a grille depth dimension for me, I am mocking up a trans cooler, and need to know the depth of the plastic surround from where it mates to the metal grille shell back towards the radiator. Heres pix where I need the measurement. My restored grilles are packed away, and I dont want to pull em out just to measure. Needs to be off a 69 cuda. 67/68 may be different depth

Thanks
matt

20210505_093324.jpg


20210505_093332.jpg
 
moparmat2000 said:
If somebody has a 69 cuda here who's willing to take a grille depth dimension for me, I am mocking up a trans cooler, and need to know the depth of the plastic surround from where it mates to the metal grille shell back towards the radiator. Heres pix where I need the measurement. My restored grilles are packed away, and I dont want to pull em out just to measure. Needs to be off a 69 cuda. 67/68 may be different depth

Thanks
matt

View attachment 1715733131

View attachment 1715733132
Click to expand...
I will get some measurements on mine later tonight when I'm in the shop.
 
What my '69 shows, but with a caveat, is about 5-1/8" to the face of the support if that is useful.
My CS was replaced with one out of a '72(?) I believe.
I have a 26" radiator.

upload_2021-5-6_9-1-49.png

upload_2021-5-6_8-59-7.png
 
Thank you!!
That will be perfect to figure out the depth. What did you use for grille teeth
 
Last edited:
I could tuck it in tighter and not worry about it, but I need to leave space for an eventual A/C condensor install
 
moparmat2000 said:
........What did you use for grille teeth
Click to expand...

Lol, it's just painted :eek: plastic light crate cut to fit. A little larger squares and no angle across the center. Much easier to find these days and easy to make with a band saw and side cutters!:) When I acquired this front end the driver side had only the top half in it.

upload_2021-5-6_10-32-50.png




I do have good aluminums on a shelf until I do a surround repair or find another.

upload_2021-5-6_10-39-36.png
 
I have an ok set of aluminum crates on the grilles I have boxed up, but that plastic your using cant be beat.
 
Thanks guys. It looks like I will have a bit of room to spare. My cooler will set approx 3.5" off the radiator support. That will give me about 1.5" to spare before the back of the grille starts.

20210506_195649.jpg


20210506_195718.jpg
 
Last edited:
Daves69 said:
Lol, it's just painted :eek: plastic light crate cut to fit. A little larger squares and no angle across the center. Much easier to find these days and easy to make with a band saw and side cutters!:) When I acquired this front end the driver side had only the top half in it.

View attachment 1715733677



I do have good aluminums on a shelf until I do a surround repair or find another.

View attachment 1715733678
Click to expand...
If you did both sides to match, I bet nobody would ever know.
 
I think I'm going to have enough room, but I need another dimension. Location and depth of the LH turn signal to the radiator support, because of the routing of the cooler lines. Heres a pic of one of the dimensions I need. I also need the other.

Screenshot_20210516-124402_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited:
Heres pix of the mounting setup so far, and how I intend to route the steel hard line. .050" thick steel shelving sheetmetal cut and bent. I used the existing tooling hole in the lower radiator support sheetmetal. Just drilled it the rest of the way through with a unibit, then added a second one above it. These line up with my trans cooler thermostat which will be on the other side mounted to the framerail.

20210515_160322.jpg


20210515_194224.jpg


20210515_194233.jpg


20210515_195300.jpg


20210515_195308.jpg


20210515_200131.jpg


20210515_200202.jpg


Screenshot_20210516-132405_Gallery.jpg


20210516_133905.jpg
 
Last edited:
I got rid of mine! Still run a 3800 9" convertor, and just change the fluid every year.

The unit you have is very thick! After seeing that pic, It no wonder why I always had cooling issues! And a Puller fan as well!

IMGP1301.JPG
 
1969383S , It wont be running through the radiator built in heat exchanger. It will be bypassing it altogether because the trans I am using is a 42RH overdrive trans. It uses larger 3/8" fluid lines because of the sheer fluid volume needed. If you starve the OD unit, It gets cooked.

My radiator has smaller 5/16" line fittings since stock A904s and A727s use that size. If all that was 3/8" in 1969, i would have just used the radiator and bought repop pre bent lines and never went to all the trouble. Otherwise I'd just use the cooler in the radiator. We also live in a climate that hits 105° regularly for 3 months out of the year. Both of these reasons are why I am using the auxiliary cooler, and a cooler thermostat that will allow the fluid to hit 180°f before it bypasses through the cooler.
 
Last edited:
moparmat2000 said:
It wont be running through the radiator cooler. Its bypassing it altogether because the trans I am using is a 42RH overdrive trans. It uses larger 3/8" lines. My radiator has smaller 5/16 line fittings. Otherwise I'd just use the cooler in the radiator. We also live in a climate that hits 105° regularly for 3 months out of the year.
Click to expand...


That is what I did "Oh" so many years ago. Repaired the holes through the lower core support for the lines and just drive a bit more conservative any more! I was in Florida and understand! It was a Daily driver and weekend warrior, if your entire cooling system is up to snuff the trans cooler is not needed JMO!
 
It's not about the entire cooling system not being up to snuff, it's about not being able to use the cooler in the radiator because it necks the lines down and restricts them. I figure the heat, the stand alone cooler, because I cant plumb through the radiator due to the line size restriction issue, and the cooler thermostat to maintain temp, it should be just fine. Automatic transmissions dont like excessive heat, and the OD ones are even worse about it. If the O/D trans used 5/16" lines, I woulda just bought repop lines and been done with it. But it doesnt, so I kinda have to go this route. Car isnt a rare one like your 383S it's a 318 coupe. So I cut and mod where necessary including for the O/D trans
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top