Need feed back about what to do 70 Bee front radiator support?

[SuperBeeFan]

Ok, bought this 70 Bee 3 years ago. Please bear with me and apologize for being longer post.

When I looked at it, the upper radiator cross support had been replaced with what appears to be a factory stamped but had different number stamped. I’ve been around Mopar for 40 years and don’t claim to know everything. We bought to be a driver. The dash vin plate numbers, the rear trunk lip numbers, the California title matches and fender tag match. The support must have been replaced sometime back years ago, because the welds are not the best, between the section left and right sides by headlights supports, because the also 26 inch radiator because factory 3.91 gears, is also stamped fender tag.

I’m removing the old aluminum radiator and replacing with Glen-Ray radiator. Should I keep this section welds as they are? Or clean up and redo welds? Please see the pictures and let me know your thoughts on if I should keep old welds or redo the welds?
Thank you. Ken

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

I vote fix the welds, whether that means grinding or rewelding…just depends on what they are actually like. Paint the engine bay the correct color and go from there.

 

[Speedbird]

Your sides haven't been changed to convert from a 22 to a 26 and ONLY the top has been changed sometime with a "factory" part?
And everything else about the car matches?
In that case I have a very similar situation. Sometime very early in it's life the top support was changed with a non original part? (No vin)
And a 68 numbered 22 inch radiator was installed in my 69 car.
No other changes determined other than some no factory type welds. I chose to leave it as it is because it's a part of the car.
Everything else on the car appeared to have been in place since 1969. No damage from a wreck, etc.
I would pay to find out why this occurred. Lost to history.

 

[hunt2elk]

I have seen badly damaged top radiator supports from an engine removal gone wrong, and I bet that happened a few times with these old cars. If it was mine, I would either fix those welds and grind off the not correct numbers, or probably easier would be to buy a new piece from AMD and weld it in. Oh yeah, and paint the engine bay body color.

 

[Dave6T4]

Yeah, a lot of lazy guys found it was easier to remove engine and trans by cutting the top of the rad support out. If left this way for long, the front unitbody would splay outward, due to the tension of the torsion bars. This complete rad support is an important part of unitbody integrity.

 

[SuperBeeFan]

I vote fix the welds, whether that means grinding or rewelding…just depends on what they are actually like. Paint the engine bay the correct color and go from there.

Thank you. That’s the direction I’m feeling i should do. Yes, should-will change engine bay color back to original.

 

[SuperBeeFan]

Yeah, a lot of lazy guys found it was easier to remove engine and trans by cutting the top of the rad support out. If left this way for long, the front unitbody would splay outward, due to the tension of the torsion bars. This complete rad support is an important part of unitbody integrity.

Yeah, a lot of lazy guys found it was easier to remove engine and trans by cutting the top of the rad support out. If left this way for long, the front unitbody would splay outward, due to the tension of the torsion bars. This complete rad support is an important part of unitbody integrity.

I believe this is the case. The original engine had been removed and replaced with a Fury 383 earlier in its life. We replaced the old tired Fury engine with another already rebuilt 383 and removed the hood. Everything else on the car matched with the OE fender tag.

 

[SuperBeeFan]

Your sides haven't been changed to convert from a 22 to a 26 and ONLY the top has been changed sometime with a "factory" part?
And everything else about the car matches?
In that case I have a very similar situation. Sometime very early in it's life the top support was changed with a non original part? (No vin)
And a 68 numbered 22 inch radiator was installed in my 69 car.
No other changes determined other than some no factory type welds. I chose to leave it as it is because it's a part of the car.
Everything else on the car appeared to have been in place since 1969. No damage from a wreck, etc.
I would pay to find out why this occurred. Lost to history.

View attachment 1921079

Appreciate your input Speedbird. The OE 383 had been removed and replaced with a station wagon 383 early on and figured the OE support had been either lost in time if car sat or circumstances and changed.

 

[SuperBeeFan]

I have seen badly damaged top radiator supports from an engine removal gone wrong, and I bet that happened a few times with these old cars. If it was mine, I would either fix those welds and grind off the not correct numbers, or probably easier would be to buy a new piece from AMD and weld it in. Oh yeah, and paint the engine bay body color.

The Bee doesn’t look like had any serious accident in the front end. Figured the OE was lost or damaged when replacing the OE engine.