sidemount or fmic
 

its the age old question: to buy sidemount intercoolers or frontmount to replace the stock ones.
if readers with these two different kinds of intercoolers can give me their advantages and their disadvantages. i was leaning towards the front mount because it looks more wicked, but it seems as though one of the turbos would draw in air from a higher point than the other one. i was wondering if that would affect the turbo in any way. thanks for the help. ur fellow Z enthusiast

Unfortunatly I drive and NA car..but to aid some I believe that you loose some boost pressure when you go from the stock to a larger capacity intercooler. i think i read that somewhere...

I would vote..FMIC. The alot better in my opinion. And if no else responds. Look at it this way, almost every high horsepower turbo car has gone to a FMIC. I cannot think of many that has side mount ones. You could use that in your consideration i guess.

SMIC's are much better for the Z32 for many reasons. First, they keep the balance that the two throttle body setup needs. second, they will yield less boost drop. Unless you have huge turbos that are pushing tons of air, you're going to experience a power loss with a big FMIC. Also, there have been issues with overheating since a FMIC does not allow cool air to pass through the radiator. If you want to "look mean" and have a slower car, go with an FMIC. Unless you plan on going to a single TB setup and pushing big big turbos, stick with upgraded SMICs.

FMIC OWNS SMIC!!!!! thta;s all i gotta say.

SR FMIC owns SMIC SR
RB FMIC owns SMIC RB
VG FMIC owns VG SMIC

just don;lt go outrageously big and you shoudl be fine. if you get an SAFC to help the tuning ti wil also increase your WHP. and no you will nto over heat. all that (cold air wont go through the radiator is BS) its nto true. if it was true wouldn't we have overheated already? nop we havent FMIC owns. =]

i m one big ass noob
 

as far as installation and proper management. FMIC seems like you have to custom install a fmic as compared to juss bolting on an SMIC. dunno if this is true or not..if anyone can help. but anyways..the reason for this post is because i didnt kno wut an SAFC was...and Bardabe. do u drive a 300zx. cuz ur carlist just shows silvias...

yea, bardabe only has an NA that I don't think is even running. Hopefully some more TT guys will log on and answer your question. There are FMIC kits (Greddy, Apollo, etc), but again, I recommend sticking with SMIC's. Greg Dupree just hit 9's with stillen SMIC's. That's the fastest Street TT to this day.

Why yes UI have a Z32 N/A that was suppose to get converted ot TT but the Front clip place flaked and I needed a runnigncar ASAP so I bought an S13. anywho yeah I have heklped do 2 TT convertions. and yes one of them has a FMIC and runs like a champ with no problems. he has the greddy kit. Wich was a Tricky install because of all the pipes but included all the brakets and mounting hardware. the onyl downside was he had about a 3PSi presusre drop (more turbo Lag)


an SAFC is a Super Air Fuel Controler, you cna tune ytour car's Fuel Settings 50% below or Above stock. there for you can gain even more HP and get more benefits from the Aftermarket IC SM or FM wichever you choose. I;d personally go with FM tho. but W/E's

pressure drop....sign me up!!!!

FMIC's look silly imho, in the same category as huge worthless aluminum wings. greg dupree has proven that FMICs are completely unneccesary, and that car he ran in the 9's has a full factory interior. unless you were running massive boost, you would actually lose power with FMICs. dont forget that ICs are also pretty pricey. dont jump on the ricer bandwagon, save your money for stuff that actually will help your car.

FMIC are the new "Cadilac Grills" LOL

yes, expensive and frivilous. they say "hey, look at me, i know how to waste my money at an alarming rate." it's just another stupid fad that will be over in a few years. but hey, it's your car and your money, so knock yourself out.

anyone who says an FMIC should even be considered for a Z32 needs to do some damn research...

14rwhp gain with Stillen SMIC's over an FMIC...
http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg...msg_id=1260203

Greg Dupree on the crossflow intake manifold and front mount intercoolers...
http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg...msg_id=1240760

pressure drop discussion...
http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg...&msg_id=938664

Let's sum it up real quick... side mounts make more power, have less pressure drop (and therefore result in quicker spool up), don't block airflow to your radiator, don't block airflow to your oil cooler, and don't block airflow to your intake.

Front mounts gain the respect of ricers, and cost more...

where are your priorities?

well said...thank you....btw, he's a TT owner.

noobie
 

intercooler on the left side is bent due to the previous owner's accident. so i was plannin on replacing them anyways..juss wanted to kno whether to smic or fmic. btw....i can get fmic cheaper.

check out ebay, junkyards, etc. if you only need one. i'm sure you cant get a FMIC cheaper than a single used SMIC.

OK I am goin to mesh posts here. I know the whole idea of the FMIC is to position the intercooler in front of the largest opening in the bumper fr more cool air.

With that, does the stock TT fascia hender or restrict air flow at all? Or should someone upgrading to larger SMIC consider a new fascia like some of the Stillen units?

with a FMIC, you either have to hack up the stock facsia or get an aftermarket one. With upgraded SMIC's, the stock fascia is fine, as seen by Greg's car.

2nd. Considering the Stillen SMIC's are the best bang for the buck, I'd recommend those. The best part (aside from the fact that they're the best for the cost range) is that they have optional air ducts that help use the extra surface area (other options don't have that ability). The only SMIC's currently in the market (that I have knowledge on) that are better than Stillen's are ARC's (which are a SH*TLOAD more expensive), and those are angled to allow extra airflow over the surface while using the stock fascia.

However, a more open fascia couldn't *hurt,* but don't use intercoolers as your justification for getting a body kit. If you want a fascia, get a fascia (your money, your car, your decision, but don't expect everyone to like it)... just don't say it's for the extra airflow to the intercoolers.

where, on ebay? Or are you referring to Apollo.

1. Don't use eBay for performance parts.

2. Apollo is the WORST POSSIBLE intercooler setup you can put on your car. It has less surface area than ANY side mount option (I'm too lazy to find the dimensions, so just trust me), and that's why it's so cheap (it's a purely cosmetic mod)

'91 300zx. close to 15 years old smic. was gonna replace both units because i thought it might help out with with better airflow to the turbos. and a plus to a future turbo swap. Help or juss pressure drop?

hey what do you guys think about the greddy SMIC intercoolers any commnets on there use and down sides and better performance than others like stillin HKS

stillen is the best one's available for a reasonable price. Greddy and HKS are ok (better than stock)...but stillen's are simply better.

thanks for the info i got a pair real cheap 600$ cant beat that off a buddy just wanted to see the perfoormance of them, what do you think i can get out of them i mean by how much horse can i run b4 i got to get bigger coolers?

I don't think you'll need to change them out again with your plans for the car. The greddy's are good...just not the best...they'll meet your performance goals.

Bardabe,...you've got to be kidding me,...have not learned anything over the past couple years? SMIC's are better than FMIC's PERIOD. You need to cut back on the stupid pills.

If you're looking for a set of stock intercoolers, let me know. I'm selling mine. I upgraded to the Stillen SMIC's.