Initial fitment was using the plastic flanges on the radiator onto the mounts for the horn and battery box. Passenger side was via a new hole in the flange, drivers side involved a random bit of metal (I think it was previously an exhaust mount) that I planned to replace with a larger piece if I kept it there.
This required minimum bodywork modification, just a flattening of the flange on the passengers side. In this fitment and the later one I offset the radiator to the passenger side, my reasoning being for easier fitment of the bottom hose and to leave for room for airflow to the carbs. I was quite keen on this but there was no room for a decent sized fan behind the rad. I could almost fit my existing fan in front of the radiator, in fact with a little adjustment I would have got it in I reckon.
Initial radiator fitment using plastic flanges.
I considered persisting with this option but after a trip to Wickes I found some suitable brackets that would allow it to move further forward. For this I had to flatten or remove the entire lower lip. Constrained by access and tools I had to hand, I cut the corners and flattened it using a mole grip. It looks rubbish, but it’ll do till next time the engine is out. I’d rather not cut the lip off - it could be reinstated by bending it back and welding the two cuts. I’m hoping to bend the lip to face forward to retain strength, possibly getting the corners welded with a filler piece. My only concern with this is creating a muck trap, so I’ll try and keep it clean if I do that.
For brackets I used some right angle straps, bolted to the existing radiator support locations. The drivers side lined up radiator end tank, but the passenger side was across the body of the radiator, meaning it didn’t sit level. To fix this I added a cross bar, which is positioned so that the tabs on the body/tank joins sit just in front, helping hold it in place.
Mounting brackets Mk2.
My initial brackets were OK but a bit weak, with a bit of flex if you pulled down so I think with water in it would have sagged over time. While I planned to also support the weight from the top, I’d like good bottom support too. Later I realised some of this flex was actually the front panel of the car, which flattening the flange wouldn't have helped.
Another trip to Wickes and purchased some stronger brackets with gussets. Being shorter these are only fitted to the bottom support mounts. I have drilled some new holes for a second bolt further up too. I had to use longer bolts on the existing mounts, as the mount is inset into the body slightly. Of course by welding up some custom mounts you could make these even more robust, but have neither the kit or skills to weld so random bits from Wickes it is. The mounts are solid, the only flex is from the panel they are mounted to, reinstating the lip facing forwards would help this.
Mounting brackets Mk3.
At this point I had trimmed most of the plastic off the radiator, but had left two round tabs near the top. Wickes angle brackets onto those tabs mount the radiator vertically and horizontally. I had to modify these to fit by bending them on a vice. Two mount into new hole from above, two into an existing holes from in front. The passenger side vertical mount wasn’t great, so I remade it from some bar material, I’m not happy with this either but it works for now. I painted the mounts black with the exception of the one I'm not happy with.
On the passenger side I have a cotter pin into a hole drilled in the plastic, I could put on the drivers side too but given how the mounts work I don’t think it is necessary.
The bottom is just sitting and not bolted in, so I drilled some holes in the bottom lip of the rad to put cable ties through. I could make a bracket, but this will do for now.
Mounting brackets Mk3 radiator bottom tabs shown.
Mounting brackets Mk3, bottom bracket painted and in place.
Top mounting brackets drivers side.
Top mounting brackets passenger side - forgot to get a good finished photo. This was before I trimmed the end off the top hose connection.
The fan was bolted to the top lip of the radiator and secured with cable ties with a washer to protect the fins on the lower side. A wee bit of tape prevents air being sucked from above the radiator. The battery actually fits better with the new radiator than the old, smaller one.
