rad support

[4eyedblind]

The stampings on these things have all the precision of throwing a full beer can at the wall. PO ripped up the lower part of the rad support on my 86, beyond the usual just bash it back square type of thing. So, I had a 1988 donor and I cut the lower part of the support out to fix it because it wasn't bashed as bad and free is a good price for me I actually had to section it and widen the lower part by 7/16ths of an inch to get it to line up with the existing stuff in the 86. It's just a low stress part but, it's a little interesting that cars only two years apart are so different dimensionally, despite being punched out of the same stamping presses. Frame horn was a little tweaked on the donor and isn't on the 86 but, that would not necessarily change the width of the lower rad support....at least, it would be obviously crumpled if it had.

[795.0pacecar]

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember the 79-86 radiator support being slightly different than the 87-93 in spite of the noses being interchangeable. Perhaps you found out the hard way lol.

[wraithracing]

The 79-82 core support is one style, the 83-86 is another, the 87-89 another, and the 90-93 is the last version. All are similar as to be expected since you can stick a 79 nose on a 90 model if so inclined and vice versa. The 83-89 upper section is essentially the same with some minor changes due to the hood rods and obviously the 87+ front bumper reinforcement change. The lower sections can be very different since Ford used the lower panel to attach the front bumper cover to and as the cover changed so did the mounting locations, etc.

[4eyedblind]

Yup, I'm sure you are all right. It ain't pretty but, at least it's not shredded like the oem one.

[foot2floor]

I actually installed a repro 1990 to 1993 radiator support on my 83 Capri. The only issues were that I had to cut the bumper brackets off the repo piece and the plates off the old support that the bumper struts go through.

there were a few other differences but the size was the same and the differences were minor. For example I welded shut holes that where not on the 83 support but were in the repro support. I also made a small cut so that the 83 hood prop hold down could be used. I somewhere have pictures... let me look

[foot2floor]

[foot2floor]

[foot2floor]

As you can see I mangled the original getting it out but the LMR part worked well in my case.

[4eyedblind]

Cool. I do think if you use the whole support it would work like yours did. It's mating the upper from 86 with lower section from 88 that revealed the differences. Overall dimensions are the same and the rad is in the same spot.

[wraithracing]

I should have been more clear in my previous post. The lowers are dimensional the same and will work just fine. The differences have to do with the bumper supports and then the openings in the lower section relative to how the front bumper cover, etc. attach to the radiator support. For some of the early cars such as the PC, Cobra, 82 GT, and the RS with the air dam the hole locations can be off which requires additional work to make everything fit.