i've seen this lots of times on ebay. they always have it. sometimes the price starts at $99. its the cheapest deal for intercooler kit w/ piping. i thought about getting one cuz theyre such good deal, but i already have a RE SMIC and that IC won't fit w/ a blitz sus intakes.

where to buy this? Ebay

 

Now that I think about it, drop the 1 on all those temps, forgot the pfc reads celsius.

 

I bought a fiber glass duct from Pettit for $200(I think) a couple years ago when I bought an IC with out the duct. I ended up selling the SIMC and returing the duct to pettit in exchange for a front sway bar.

 

People were reporting readings off of their PFC, if I remember correctly.

No, we don't have numbers from these "e-bay" intercoolers as far as performance. But we do have the numbers $300 vs. $1500. Also in one of the threads Kevin (maker of the ASP) stating that he thought it was a good deal for $250. That we will see improvements over Stock IC, how much, is unknown right now. Considering that a lot of people are still running stock IC, $300 to have a better unit is very reasonable. Is the ASP intercooler better? Probably...but I guess we can't even say that right now, because we don't have numbers right? The other aftermarket intercoolers you mentioned...I probably would pay that price. Didn't ever say I wouldn't. The subject wasn't about those other intercoolers.


Not everyone is concerned about having the biggest, baddest intercooler that ever was. Some people buy trucks and some buy sports cars...different value systems.

As a side note, I think it's ironic that you are so tough on these intercoolers, yet I notice that you have the "Cheap bastard intake" installed in your car. Do you have some scientific numbers to justify putting that in?

And the other intercoolers would lose its value also. What do you need to prove, that it cools charged air? I think the reports of lower temps on a pfc is enough proof that it's doing its job.

The fact is you're arguing a point that noone is really challenging. The people that are buying these intercoolers don't hold the same standards in an intercooler as you may. Bottom line is, who's shelling out the money, you or them? Who cares! Whatever makes them happy. You having the best intercooler on the market in your car...that awesome, more power to ya. I haven't read one of these guys attack you on how much you spent on yours (people that have the high end IC).

 

I am bidding one right now. I think that although there are no test numbers, they are definatley an upgrade from stock. So for those of us on a budget, this is an excellent upgrade since I am still on stock twins. Maybe if I decide to go with a GT35R kit or something, I might consider upgrading! But at this point, this intercooler is sufficient.

 

Be careful with buying the ones that start at $99, I think that is just for the piping and not the intercooler. I have looked at these for a while, but my verdict is still out.

 

I emailed a couple people who won the $99 auctions to find out and both said they received the whole deal (SMIC, pipes, clamps, couplers)

 

How can you quantify something as reasonable or better if its performance is 'unknown'? That is illogical.

Big and bad are irrelevant. What is relevant is pressure drop and cooling efficiency. For the record, I have a SRM SMIC that I bought used for $400, so big and bad matter little to me. This IC also has the cosmetics of a Chevy (though it is well made).

When I bought this intake, it was pretty much a proven component. Several dyno results had been posted showing its effectiveness and reports of a 1 psi boost increase (which is significant and an indication in itself that it improved air flow) were common.

I actually did quite a bit of testing the weekend I bought it. At the time I had a stock ECU as was running an RE Amemiya open intake, which I had installed a week or so before and had given me a 1 psi increase over stock (which I reduced to 10 psi using a wastegate pill). I swapped the RE intake an got the exact same 10 psi booost level as the open intake. I posted this test at the time:

https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=170

No - I'm sure it does. The question is how much it cools it.

These reports are so vague (with no indication that testing was done under the same temperature or humidity conditions, for example) that little can be concluded from them. It's probably better than stock, but would a used SRM, Blitz, Greddy etc. that cost only $100-$200 more be significantly better? What is the price-performance curve? Comparing to a $1500 IC may give you a sense that you are getting a good deal, but the real comparison should be to much cheaper ICs.

We are talking intercoolers, not religion. An intercooler performs a specific task and its effectiveness can be quantified. It's great that someone gets a warm fuzzy feeling because they have a shiny new intercooler - but some people also get a warm fuzzy feeling when they **** in their pants.

 

^lol^

 

You're right, probably the same logic you are using to assume that the performance level is below other intercoolers.

So why did you settle with SR intercooler? I'm sure there are better much higher quality intercoolers out there like the ASP. Was it because you felt that $400 for that level of performance was a decent value?


Were all these tests under strict control? Did you have an enclosed area with strict climate and humidity control? "Indication" is not conclusive, sounds more like an assumption.

Sounds like you did a good job on testing. But to play devils advocate...how controled were these experiments? Maybe when you swapped intakes you didn't tighten the clamp enough, allowing more air to seep in. What did you use to measure boost, was that calibrated between tests to ensure integrity of data? My point is not to be overly ****, but if you look hard enough, you can find fault in most research data.


The few people that have this set-up have reported lower average temps. Check the numbers they are reporting, it's lower than the stock IC. And that's what we should really be comparing, this IC and Stock IC. I believe most people buying this IC are upgrading from stock.



Don't think the reports are that vague when they are reporting actual numbers from the sensors. "Probably better than stock" so now you're acknowledging that it is superior to stock IC? That's all anyone was ever saying about this IC. Glad you finally agree with the rest of us.

$100-$200 more? Why are you comparing used prices against new price? Lets have a fair comparison...lets use that "half value" statement of yours. So this intercooler at "half value" = $150 vs. used value of other brand name $500-$600 (based on what I've seen used ones go for). That's an even bigger spread...Hmmm added value there!

Exactly, we are just talking about intercoolers. It performs a function...and as far as I've read there hasn't been any earth shattering new technology in air cooling, as far as these types of units. Old technology, new technology....how much of a difference are there gonna be?

 

are you working the turbo's harder with the pressure drop on these intercoolers?

 

This is too funny, I dont know why some people make such a big deal when somebody buys a product that is not top of the line or a name brand, if people are happy with what they purchased and showed an improvement over the factory part then leave it at that, if you dont like no name products then so be it, you can continue spending more money on name brand products...

This thread was about pics of the IC installed not "Is my IC any good"

If I was on a budget I too would have purchased that same IC since I am preety sure that it will work better than the stock one.

BTW..IC looks like a clean install...I like it....

 

just another side note, i have DYNO tested, and air temp tested there other intercoolers, , on my s14, " with a rb26, we tried, many IC kits, we installed the Greddy, complete kit, pull after pull i put down 326 whp, 10 psi, 5 runs in a row, Apex-i Ic front mount, 326 whp, same with the ARC, and Blitz, we even chopped the end tanks off a greddy and a new XS power, same bar and plate design, indenticle, the xs coller even still put down the 326 whp, and air temps were same as greddy blitz ect.... im not just trying to save a buck, or i would never have bought an fd or a s14 w a rb26 with a greddy top mount kit, imo it`s a great mod especially for the money #1, #2 the intercooler`s are right there next to Blitz, hks ect, its like when you go buy an HKS Turbo, garret sold it to them they slaped there name on it, and how it`s 1500+ instead of 800, greddy t88 turbo, CHA ching, 1700 ish? Persicion turbo systmees offers a turbo the same, same trim power output, wham, 750$- 900

i dident want this thread to go crazy just posting my pics for everyone to take a look and thanks guy for the nice comments,

best regars,
Tino fortuanto

 

Just won an auction for I/C and pipes for 130 shipped!! Cant beat that price whether its SSautochrome or not!!

 

You sure it wasn't just for the piping?
I seen a bunch of auctions starting at $99 but it was just for the piping kit.
Post a link to the auction if you can.

-Cliff

 

sure cliff....here ya go: intercooler kit

 

If you read it again it's for an intercooler pipe kit. But someone else posted that even though that's what the auction is for, they received the full kit with intercooler. I think that the company is selling so many of these that they are sending out the full kit by accident. If you only get the pipes, you have a strong case because it does describe the intercooler in the description. Let us know what shows up at your door. Their disorganization could be our gain!

 

You know you may be right because before they used to offer the intercooler separately as well as kit form and now they only have listings the way yours is.

In that case I would say you got a deal and a half.

I feel so cheated for paying $225 for mine

j/k

-Cliff

 

Okay,
Now im confused again because they just listed this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda...41647916QQrdZ1

Well let us know how it turns out.

-Cliff

 

I won one for $99 also but the ad specifically said it included everything in the picture. I noticed that the title says pipe kit now, so I'm not sure what you'll get - maybe they realized their mistake.
I plan to use the IC to do a custom V-mount, but this thread has inspired me to install it as a SMIC for now until I get the time to fab-up the V-mount. I started on a whim this afternoon and in about an hour I had it almost completely installed; just need a little adjustment and fitting. I'll post pics by Sunday.
Just by looking at it, I cannot imagine it being worse than the stock IC.
BTW, does the stock duct need to be cut/modified to use with this IC?

 

Well, I emailed them to be sure. There is absolutley NO reason to describe their intercooler at all if its not included. What good are the dimensions of some intercooler if I am using another brand and just want piping? It has to be everything and I got lucky. Ill letya know what hapens though.

frank

 

Well, if it's a mistake, don't alert them to it. By the way, seems that they don't answer any of their e-mails. Look at their customer reviews.

 

My friend showed me this earlier today and I figured that it was just another incredible product of ebay, but I'm actually considering this now.

 

One of my "bosses" and a good friend purchased an XS Intercooler, and he's a constant and regular racer in our Super Lap Series. He's driving a practically stock 93 FD we got for 3k from a salvage yard, and he's within half a second of a Corvette Z06 & a Twin-turbo G35, which are the two fastest street cars on the track. He's also a Formula instructor. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

 

What is the difference between this intercooler and the Auto Chrome intercooler? I have been eyeing the Auto Chrome kit on eBay for some time now. If I can get the same product for $130 or so, I would be all over it. Seems like evrything else I have read on this forum is that the Auto Chrome intercooler is at least slightly better than the stocker.
Unfortunately, money does not grow on the trees in my backyard, so if I can get a liitle bit more performace out of this intercoller then I will go with it. $1,500 is definitley out of the question for a brand name intercooler for me so it would never happen (at least in my wifes mind)! The $1200 I soent on rims and tires is overboard to her!!