It's a little like being an archaeologist

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

It's a little like being an archaeologist

sixtywagon · Uber Guru

Maybe someone had some kind of fan shroud on there at one time???

Stephenzone · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

its about where the horns are mounted on my 55 gmc

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

that's where you put your screwdrivers while you're working on the carb.

68sd · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Steves right ,my 55 chevs horns were mounded there ,one on each side

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

sixtywagon wrote:

Maybe someone had some kind of fan shroud on there at one time???

Hmmm, that's a good thought, I will try to follow up on that one.

Thanks!

Dave

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

Stephenzone wrote:

its about where the horns are mounted on my 55 gmc

Good idea but my original horns (which I took off to clean/sand/paint the radiator shroud( were mounted down lower, using bolts that hold the side panels to the core support, so the holes weren't for horns.

Thanks for the thought.

Dave

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

seventy2plus2 wrote:

that's where you put your screwdrivers while you're working on the carb.

Thanks for my first good laugh of the day!

Actually, that's not a bad idea ...

Dave

Ghost Post · Poncho Master!

Not possible they're from hood pins...original hood & no holes?.
If the hood's been changed, where would long hood pins protrude through?>

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

Ghost Post wrote:

Not possible they're from hood pins...original hood & no holes?.
If the hood's been changed, where would long hood pins protrude through?>

Hmmm, another interesting theory ... it sure looks like the original hood, seems to be untouched rust where the hood bolts to the hinges, and there are no patched holes where pins would have been ... it is possible the hood had pins then they were removed and the hood changed, but I am thinking it is unlikely ... I'll sand off a bit of the black primer on the hood and see if the original green paint is under it, and if so, I will conclude that the hood wasn't changed therefore no hood pins were in the mystery holes.

Thanks,
Dave

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I think the hoodpins theory is unlikely. Holes are only 1/4", somewhat small for hoodpins.

norontcan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

On a 55/56 does the wiring harness go over the top of the grille/rad support like it does on a 65? If so might have been used for wiring clips.

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

seventy2plus2 wrote:

I think the hoodpins theory is unlikely. Holes are only 1/4", somewhat small for hoodpins.

True - hoodpins I've had on other cars were at least 3/8" and I think the race car was more like 1/2" I do remember them being hefty.

Good observation!

Thanks,
Dave

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

norontcan wrote:

On a 55/56 does the wiring harness go over the top of the grille/rad support like it does on a 65? If so might have been used for wiring clips.

Good thought, but my wiring harness (which sure looks to be original, factory wrapping and clips) goes behind the core support, and the clips there attach from the rear.

Thanks for the idea - one nice thing about this "archaeology dig" is that I can easily "go to the site" and check out theories first hand!

Thanks again,
Dave

2drpost · Uber Guru

dave, i had a '57 chev years ago, i swear it had the same holes (5/16"??) in the top of the rad support.
those might also have been factory punched holes for ac line retaining clamps.
i thought the condenser lines ran up over the rad support. maybe, i think, not sure.... wink

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

69 belair wrote:

dave, i had a '57 chev years ago, i swear it had the same holes (5/16"??) in the top of the rad support.
those might also have been factory punched holes for ac line retaining clamps.
i thought the condenser lines ran up over the rad support. maybe, i think, not sure....

I thought he same about my '57 Chev. Fortunately I have a '57 Chev V8 radiator support in the rafters of my garage (along with enough parts to build another 70 2+2) and it has the holes as well. I can't comment on a/c lines, but I wonder if the holes were used at the assembly plant when the front clip was lowered as an assembly onto the body.

-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 09:55:13 PM

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

seventy2plus2 wrote:

69 belair wrote:

dave, i had a '57 chev years ago, i swear it had the same holes (5/16"??) in the top of the rad support.
those might also have been factory punched holes for ac line retaining clamps.
i thought the condenser lines ran up over the rad support. maybe, i think, not sure....

I thought he same about my '57 Chev. Fortunately I have a '57 Chev V8 radiator support in the rafters of my garage (along with enough parts to build another 70 2+2) and it has the holes as well. I can't comment on a/c lines, but I wonder if the holes were used at the assembly plant when the front clip was lowered as an assembly onto the body.

They looked like 5/16" to me too but I checked and a 1/4" bolt just barely fits.

I was going to go see if I could find a photo of 55-57 Chevy body being lowered onto frame at GM factory, and that got me to thinking about factory assembly manuals, and so I went to look at the 56 assembly manual radiator core support, and lo and behold:

(If the picture above isn't clear, the note pointing to those holes says "SPOTWELD 6 PLACES HOLES MUST BE IN LINE WHEN WELDING")

So those holes (sure enough, the other ones in the front and back are there too) were only there to serve to line up parts for welding the core support together!

Mystery solved!

Thanks to all for your ideas!

Dave