Uncut bumper

[91CBoy]

Ok guys I am lookin for the perfect intercooler to run without cutting my stock bumper. I want it to be a reasonable price but efficient. Can you turbo guys post pics of your intercoolers, prices and sizes if you have an uncut bumper. Even if you dont post pics can you point me in the right direction please. This is the first car I am doing all my own work on so please help me out. Thanks guys.

[straightedge]

No matter what you do you'll have to trim unless you get a 5" tall intercooler that's 1.5" thick. The bumper support is relaly where you're worried about, not as much the bumper.

[Mike]

it may be pretty damn hard to not have to cut your bumper.....theres not much space in there....it would have to be mad skinny depth and height wise

[Mike]

No matter what you do you'll have to trim unless you get a 5" tall intercooler that's 1.5" thick. The bumper support is relaly where you're worried about, not as much the bumper.

beat me to it

[AccordWarrior]

Doesn't a Starion IC fit with minimal cutting?

[straightedge]

Doubt it, they're pretty tall. But I don't have any first-hand experience with that. I think MRX was running or is running a Starion intercooler.

[MRX]

...i still have scars from all the cutting to get that starion in lol. Took me two full days to make it fit

starion FMIC for sale btw

[KillerCam282]

I did it without cutting my bumper. However mine is a V-mount thats typically used in RX7s. I slapped mine in the place of my AC condenser. If you are looking to keep your AC, and use something front mount, its gonna be a very small FMIC. Something like 20 x 5 x 2, which isnt a standard size. Its pick your poison when it comes to that. You can always cut up the very sturdy radiator support for extra room for the piping, or do the common bumper cut (which is by far much softer than that Radiator support).

[AccordSe91]

maybe a smic like the dsm one?

[91CBoy]

Its not that I dont want to cut it, I just want it to still look like an intercooler isnt there. I heard SMICs werent as efficient as FMICs. I want to g kind of stealthy.

[straightedge]

Just don't cut out the grille like I did and paint it black.

[91CBoy]

What do you mean? If I cut the bumper then I gotta cut the grille right.

[mtnickel]

i should get pics of mine up...with the IC painted in HIgh temp black ( i think the high temp paint doesn't insulate that much), mine is actually pretty stealth...unless you hvae someone who really knows what an IC core looks like, most think it's the rad.

You could also put in chicken wire type stuff in front of it...this also helps with debree and rocks hitting the IC.

on a side note, cutting the bumper isn't really all that fun, but i did find an excellent tool for cutting it.

here in Canada we hace a store called Princess Auto. They have these 3" discs that fit die grinders...they are mini-saw-tooth'd and are meant for particle board or plastic. Cut my bumper like butter...even that massive thick support section. And gets into places where a saw-zall can't.

Good luck the install

Mark

[straightedge]

What do you mean? If I cut the bumper then I gotta cut the grille right.

Not neccessarily. I kept the front cross pieces [grille] and fit my intercooler fine. Had the hack the bumper support a good amount in the center.

[h22sparkle]

i didnt have to hack mine at all it fit perfectly