DIY Intercooler and Piping??
 

I'm no newb, I just do alot of reading without posting, but I am a little curious about something...

Is there a specific reason why it *appears* as though most of the Rx7 owner buy pre fabricated intercooler kits rather than constructing their own. I know this is a completely different world with completely different people, but a fat intercooler with really good effeciency can be had for less than $500. All the piping, t-bolt clamps, and couplers can be put together for around $150... $200 Max. Making the max someone would spend if they can fabricate it themselves around $700.00.

And actually there alot of GOOD intercoolers even cheaper than that. A precision 10.3(H) x 31.5(L) x 3.5(W) can be had for about $375, which would allow someone to spend about $575-600 for an effeciently cooling setup... or so I am thinking.

I am just wondering if most "7" owners buy the kits because they are already prefabbed and would rather not do it, might look alittle nicer (bling chrome, or just nicely contructed), or because they don't have the ability to fabricate it themselves.

Just curious to what some people have to say, as I have a nice intercooler already that I could jsut fab some pipes up and be done, without shelling out the additional 1000 bones for a blitz kit or something.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

That's because the prefabricated set-ups are more of a convenience and fabricating your own "appears" to be more expensive. It's just less complicated to have something that fits. Now people are starting to realize that you can buy cheaper set-ups and still get good results. Notice how everyone is starting to give good comments on the Ebay "SSautochrome" IC'S?

Yea I just wondering. More Rx7 owners have more money to spend on expensive kits like that that the "honda world" where every one tries to take the "diy" approach to everything if possible. I just thought in many cases it can be done for so much less even if you have an experience welder tig it all for you and you do all the fab work. Looks just as nice just takes time.

yeah most people here do it for the convinience and the lack of skills and drive. Most of the rx7 owners never build anything on there own, and a lot of them don't even touch their own cars, they take it to a shop. I built my whole v-mount setup including radiator brackets ic piping couplers clamps..... for about 700 like you said. it's not a hard thing to do it's just most people don't care enough to learn.

*sarcasm*Yeah, we have so many shops around here that work on the rotary engine, I let them do everything for me. *end sarcasm* Seriously though, I'm no master of anything, but I have always spent the time to pick up a book and figure out how to make something or how to fix something i broke making something, lol.

Thats pretty much the same with me. I'd rather try it myself even if I screw up (long as it don't cost me 1000's) for the experience and self-gratificationg of it. Nothing like having a fast well built car, and being able to say your own two hands where the only contributing helpers.

I figured alot of the owners on here were like that (pay other people), cause unlike the honda and nissan enthusiast most of them have the money to do it. I am glad there are some on here that do their own work.

I like running across the occasional project thread with step by step of what happened. Needs to be more of that:icon_tup: