My 5th week of March 67 GS400 manufactured in Baltimore has a top radiator cover/plate that houses the rubber saddles is different than most of the cars that I see restored on the internet. My saddles rubber nubs that locate the rubber saddle are splayed on the leading and trailing edge of the saddle mount and on a 45 degree angle. The hole spacing is 3.5 apart. Most shrouds I have seen, the nubs are straight up. I also saw a 66 GS401 with the same type my car has. How many of you have noticed this and if so know what the difference is and why? I have always heard that the upper large radiator tank saddle mounts arent reproduced for these cars but Cars (Buick Parts) lists a mount for 65-66 GS/Skylark that I think might work for my car. See the below pics below as examples.
I didn't know there was 2 different styles like that. My Flint built car has the nubs straight up. I have another spare plate that I believe are also straight up. I'll have to double check.
That's weird...I have never seen that before. The nubs in my car point straight up. My car was built in Flint.
I just looked at a members beautiful Red 65 GS and his plate was like mine and the 66 I saw. I wonder if it was a production change or a manufacturer source difference. My car isn't that early a car (March of 67) so I don't think it would be a 66-67 part surplus run over. But one never knows. The Baltimore plant produced Buicks, Pontiacs, Olds and Chevy's all on the same line after 64 so part bens could have had irregular carryovers. "Although Chevrolet cars and trucks had represented the largest portion of the Baltimore plant's production, other car lines also have been manufactured. The versatility of the plant was tested in 1964 when Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs were assembled one after another on the same passenger car line. In the ensuing years, the number of car lines produced has changed several times. GMC Truck and Coach Division shared Baltimore's truck production as early as the 1947 model year." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Assembly
The top plate on our cars are a Buick only item as far as I can tell. I'm not sure about Olds but Pontiac and Chevy definitely didn't use that plate in '67.
Yes, it was a different part number for 1967. I don't understand why they made the change, it seems insignificant. The rubber insulators are made by Steele Rubber. CARS sells their products at a slight discount. Steele might have a better picture on their site, take a look.
"The top plate on our cars are a Buick only item as far as I can tell. I'm not sure about Olds but Pontiac and Chevy definitely didn't use that plate in '67. " Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that they used the same part, just that the unconventional production setup might have caused a few logistical issues. "The rubber insulators are made by Steele Rubber. CARS sells their products at a slight discount. Steele might have a better picture on their site, take a look. " Thanks, Here is what I believe is the correct part at Steele Rubber. http://www.steelerubber.com/radiator-bracket-cushion-70-2050-31
Ttt. So, did anyone ever verify if Steele 70-2050-31 is the correct part for those of us with rad top plate insulators with the splayed nubs? I think my lowers that are mounted in brackets looks like they use the same ones. My car never came with this top plate or lower insulators for the 4 row rad. I bought them from different V8Buick members. Mine is a 455 transplant. Thanks.
As I recall the GS one was different than the skylark. Maybe because of the bigger radiator. I'll have to see if I have any floating around.
I have the splayed plate. I was told it is for the 400. The original one for the '67 340/4 w/AC has the nibs straight up. It appears the splayed plate rubbers are larger, but I have not gotten that far in the re-assembly. I bought the CARs RI656B back in 2019 and they appear to be going to work in the splayed plate. The CARs rubbers have a "L" cross section, so I assume they are left and right. Again, I have not installed them yet, but they appear correct. I have a 4 row US Radiator I plan to use. edit - from another thread from Walt K: "The 67 top plate is different from 65-66 as they use different insulators. The 67 has insulators with nipples that stick straight up from the top surface. On 65-66 they're at the ends and angled outwards." So apparently I have a 65/66 top plate.
Ok, I just looked in the 67 Assembly manual and they list 2 different radiator top plates. The one fits all models with standard cooling except some models with HD cooling and the GS 400’s. The other is for all the GS 400s and certain other engines/models with the HD cooling. Also each type of top plate uses different radiator insulators at all 4 locations, and the metal brackets for the insulators under the radiators are also different between the two types of top plates. The sheets show the part numbers for all these pieces, but you cannot tell which is angled vs. straight from the pics. Just to help further, here are the part numbers for the GS 400 parts and the quantity needed per car. Top cover 1381192 (Qty 1) Insulators 1378523 (Qty 4) Insulator lower brackets 1380944 (Qty 2) Duane
If they follow the same as the 68-72 parts, the insulators should have the part number cast into them. That should help you “ID” the parts. PS, Before anyone asks, making copies of the 67 Assembly Manual today would be a bit pricey. With paper copies as expensive as they are now, and the fact that some of the pages “accordion out towards 3 feet in length, you would need a document printer to do it. Duane
I have an unrestored '67 GS 400 built at Flint in Nov '67 without A/C but with HD cooling (just includes the same stuff that is standard on a car with A/C, fan shroud, clutch fan, 3-row radiator and different pulleys) and it has the rubber nibs straight up, not splayed on each end. For anyone wanting clearer images of these sheets or the entire '67 assembly manual, you can download it for free here: Manuals | 1967 GS 1967gs.com/manuals Here is the sheet for all '67 Buick A-body EXCLUDING 44600 (GS 400) & HD cooling and it shows top plate # 1381193: Here is the sheet for 44600 (GS400) with standard cooling and it shows top plate 1381192: And here is the sheet for HD cooling, it shows both top plates and the usage depends on the application:
Do I understand this correctly? Referring to those sheets from the assembly manual, a non-A/C GS400 can have either standard cooling without a fan shroud or heavy duty cooling with a fan shroud? I always thought my non-A/C GS400 was missing it's fan shroud.....
Correct. A ‘67 GS 400 without A/C and without the HD cooling option would have a fixed 4-blade fan (no clutch) and just the finger guard bolted to the radiator top plate. The full fan shroud was included on cars with A/C or non-A/C cars with the HD cooling option.
