COMET CENTRAL

So I found a Dynacorn V8 fan shroud on sale and picked it up thinking it won't hurt, and probably should help; even tho I haven't even fired the engine up yet. I have a 3 core brass replacement radiator that matches the 3 core that came with the car (64 Caliente), and ordered the 3 core brackets. It has a gap along the side that is about 3/4", and at the top it's over an inch. Is this normal ? I've never seen any diagrams or instructions to see what it is supposed to look like, but it seems this wouldn't be very effective.