1955-60 LS Swap Corvette Radiator - HP Series

Radiator

• Complete aluminum radiator assembly with no plastic tanks or rubber gaskets
• Two core radiator design with dual 1.25-inch-wide core tubes for maximum cooling
• Press formed tanks fully welded to core with no gaskets or epoxy construction
• Factory-sized LS cooling hose inlet and outlet connections on passenger side
• LS steam line fitting welded into radiator end tank for your LS swap
• Direct Fit® upgrade means just that, with no modifications needed to your Corvette
• Radiators are assembled in the U.S.A. with a lifetime warranty
• Serpentine cooling fins deliver optimum airflow across core tubes for cooling
• Single 16-inch electric 1,918 cfm cooling fan package pre-mounted
• Electric fan temperature switch mounted in tank to minimize wiring
• Optional 4-plate transmission oil cooler available on select models
• Black Ice two-part epoxy coating available on all aluminum radiator models
• Controlled atmosphere furnace brazed core with TIG welded end tanks
• Billet DeWitts branded 15 psi radiator cap included
• Full wiring harness kit included with the pre-mounted fan package

Cool Your LS Swapped C1 Corvette with a DeWitts Direct Fit® and Drive Worry Free

The first generation of Corvette, built from 1953-1962, is often referred to as the C1, but some call them “first gen” Corvettes or “solid axle” models (the Corvette would not see its famous IRS until the C2 in 1963). One thing most can agree on is that these C1 Corvette years are beautiful cars that every enthusiast dreams of owning, with much of that due to its many uses in TV shows and movies over the years. However, the ten-year production run produced barely 69,000 cars, meaning they often command a premium these days.

The C1 Corvette has a timeless design, but due to early production design requirements of using production GM components off the shelf, these early first gen Corvettes leave a lot to be desired in ride handling and performance, making them prime subjects of the “restomod” crowd. Restomodding a vehicle is when you modernize the drivetrain, suspension, and more while keeping the overall look subdued or stock appearing. To that end, the LS engine platform (which is used in the C5 and up generation Corvettes) has become an extremely popular engine upgrade. With various engine mount adapters, swap kits, and such, the LS engine is a drop in upgrade that we’re here to help keep cool with our Direct Fit® LS swap radiator packages.

Built to Fit Your LS Swapped Corvette with Zero Modifications to Install

The LS engine family has a couple of unique traits that require a specific radiator design. While some manufacturers make do with a universal radiator that gets a “nip and tuck” to work, that’s not how we do things with DeWitts radiators. Our HP Series Direct Fit® C1 LS swap Corvette radiator for 1955-1960 models is built using the highest quality aluminum materials, assembled, furnace brazed, and TIG welded all in our Wixom, Michigan facility (just 30 mins up I-96 from GM’s corporate headquarters at the Renaissance Center). Each radiator carries a limited lifetime warranty, is pressure tested, and carefully double wall boxed with insulation to ensure it makes the trip to you and keeps your project moving forward.

Our press formed tanks provide an OE appearance and mean you won’t have any fitment issues, no matter if your C1 Corvette was originally a Blue Flame six or small block car. Flat plate welded end tanks that our competitors use rarely have this luxury, requiring modifications to your car to fit the larger tanks and/or additional bracketry or adapters. Using a two-row core built with 1.25-inch-wide core tubes and serpentine cooling fins (which is equivalent to a four-core copper/brass radiator) maximizes air flow contact through the core to pull away the most heat, no matter the demand on the system. The wider core tubes of our HP series radiators provide even more cooling ability over our base Pro Series while also holding more coolant.

Our Direct Fit® LS swap radiator allows you to easily bolt in the best aluminum radiator for your C1 Corvette LS swap. Not only is our radiator a hassle-free install but we have properly fitted our radiator with the correctly located LS inlet and outlet radiator hose fittings, and a steam line fitting. A SPAL 16-inch cooling fan with pre-installed coolant temperature sensor and full wiring harness are provided to ensure your LS stays cool. Automatic transmission-equipped models feature a 4-plate internal cooler with 5/16-inch inverted flare ports. Our Black Ice two-part epoxy coating option is a semi-gloss black finish that provides an OE-like look for those that want to keep things low key under the hood.

C1 Corvette HP Series Direct Fit® LS Swap Radiator Options

These C1 Corvette LS swap radiators are available for 1955-1960 models. A LS swap specific HP model for 1961-1962 C1 Corvettes is available as well. We provide the correct DeWitts radiator configuration for a hassle-free installation. A billet 15 psi radiator cap with DeWitts logo comes with each radiator.

Our universal polished radiator overflow tanks are the perfect addition for your custom LS swap cooling system build and can be mounted almost anywhere in the engine compartment. Finally, be sure to add some DeWitts High Performance coolant to your order to protect your cooling system and help it achieve maximum thermal capabilities.

DeWitts Radiator Application Guide:

1955-1960 Corvette Small Block

32-6149055M (HP Series Direct Fit®, single 16-inch fan, natural finish, no cooler)

32-6149055A (HP Series Direct Fit®, single 16-inch fan, natural finish, auto trans cooler)

32-6249055M (HP Series Direct Fit®, single 16-inch fan, Black Ice finish, no cooler)

32-6249055A (HP Series Direct Fit®, single 16-inch fan, Black Ice finish, auto trans cooler)

Specifications

Fan

This fan package includes our Direct Fit® aluminum radiator, full face aluminum shroud with six (6) rubber check valves (flaps), and a high performance 16" SPAL Fan. SPAL is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality electric axial fans for automotive use. The kit comes with a wiring harness and temperature switch for fan operation.

This package should only be used on cars with alternator conversions. Due to the fan motor size, there may be interference with the factory suspension on 1958-60 model Corvettes.