You can find a very original looking aluminum radiator on eBay for a little over $200 last time I bought one pre COVID.
I primed the top tank, bottom tank and the sides with Rustoleum self etching primer then Rustoleum gloss black. Looks great 10 years later.
I did not paint the fin area. No need to because its hard to see anyway.
I bought the standard size radiator and they do a great job of keeping a 350 in a '49 3100 cool with a flex fan.
If it keeps a V8 cool it should work for the big sixer for sure!
Any chance you still have a link?
BLUEMEANIE - Its only been a few minutes (4 years - lol) since last seeing you in the forums.
Welcome back!
52Carl has a good suggestion on a radiator, but I would add a note that your later 261 has the low mount water pump which is gong to put the fan low on the radiator in your '51 and not pulling air through where its most needed to provide optimum cooling. You also may have an interference problem between the fan and crank damper and belt pulley due to the low location of the pump.
I would suggest you purchase and install one of Bolter
Pre '68 Dave's water pump relocation adapters to get your water pump up to the sweet spot on your radiator and you can enjoy trouble free cooling. Look up his moniker in the member list and you can reach out to him via PM.
Unfortunately this will require disturbing your very nice looking engine package, but I think its important enough to mention to prevent possible lack of cooling or overheating issues when you get your engine installed.
Haha. Yeah. Went through a big job change, bought a camper, spent most of covid thru 2023 in the camper working remotely from various locations w the wife and dogs, worked on the 261 periodically, restored a '74 Honda CB750 I wrecked back in 2001, yada, yada, yada. Now that the bike is done and on the road I'm getting back to the Chev.
Good call on the adapter. I've got a coupe notched fans for it so I know it'll clear the pulley but I wasn't sure about how it'd locate on the radiator. I'll contact him for sure. Pulling the pump is a non issue. It's still dry so at worst it's a gasket or two w the adapter.
Man, that's a bizarre looking intake manifold. Is it a modern custom intake or one from the old days?
Heh. It looks amazing w the polished Strombergs and Thickstun cleaners.
It is an old school style but this one is a Tony Baron (Frank Baron's son) repop of the intake Tommy Thickstun made back in the early '50s for the 216. However, the repop is made specifically for the 235/261 so it fits my 848 head and has the wider carb spacing.
History of Thickstun/Tattersfield/Baron
https://myflatheadford.com/tattersfield-intakes/I also actually own one of the originals too. 😁
