I currently have a starion front mount. I want something that cools the air a little better and flows a lot more. I want a custom one and am unwilling to pay for a HRC front mount.

Polk Performance can make anything I want in any size I want. I would like the piping to enter and leave the intercooler on the same side if possible. This would require me to get a top to bottom flowing core with endtanks on the top/bottom. This would make a very good flowing intercooler with slightly less time in the runners meaning the cooling will be less.

I could also get a side to side core and run the piping across the top of the intercooler. This would flow slightly less, but would have much more cooling because of the longer time in the core.

Most likely I will be using a Griffin core. The endtanks will be fitted according to my needs and mounting characteristics. I will also be keeping my fog lights in the 97 bumper. The height/width will depend on where the endtanks are mounted/core runs.

Question: what intercooler(brand core) do you guys run(top to bottom/side to side)? and why do you like it?

What size core(size/flow) is good for my star kit(T3/T04E)? eventually running 20psi(300whp)


What size piping do you recommend(2, 2.25, 2.5) and do you recommend going .25 inch larger out of the intercooler to the throttle body?


Goals are to lower intake air temp within 5 degrees of outside air temp boosting 10psi. I know they will go up with higher boost pressure. Even if I can keep it within 10 degrees(OAT) at 20psi boost, that would be great since the compressor on the turbo is getting fairly hot at this boost.

Lets hear it.....we have not really talked about different/custom front mounts....that I can remember anyway. I know not many people have them....YET.

other than price, whats wrong with the star fmic?

I have a 28x9.5x3 Griffin core with Apexi GT end tanks. It flows side to side. Pressure drop seems to be reasonable and it cools like crazy. After 4 back to back runs down the 1/4 in 90 degree heat, the outlet side of the ic was still cool to the touch. Klipzracer can back me up on this. I am currently using stock diameter HRC piping.

I had a destroyed Apexi ic and had the end tanks cut off and put on the griffin core. Cost $500 for everything. I had to make the mounts, fit the piping, etc. If you can fab the piping for it, the ic itself shouldn't run you more than $500-$600. Mine was done by Nocturnal Motorsports (www.nocturnalmotorsports.com) but I don't know if they are still building stuff or not.

Now that was some great information. I appreciate it.

Starion is OK in size, but is not efficient even at 10 psi. This is a great starter intercooler, but it is time for an upgrade. By lowering my intake temps, this allows for more timing advance which will give me more power and reduce detonation.

Lets hear it from the rest of the guys with custom front mounts.

here's a picture of my intercooler the night it was installed. at that point the pipes weren't made. it's a spearco assembly and it uses a bar and plate design (much more efficient when compared to the tube and fin design the the griffen uses). also the intercooler is about 7 inches tall, so unlike the car in the image above i still have my bumper support. i have more pictures with the ic piping and the bumper off but right now i can't find the smart card with em on it, just those old pics that i took during the custom turbo install.







please excuse the bent fins, because on the highway tiny little rocks f--ked my sh*t up!.

also i think the intercooler was a perfect fit. it was originally supposed to go on my buddy's galant vr-4 but he has moved on to bigger and better things (the new evo!!! he was already given a delivery date by the dealership!). oh yeah the dimensions are 20x7.5x3.5.

>please excuse the bent fins, because on the highway tiny
>little rocks f--ked my sh*t up!.

i bet if you had a mesh or something it would help reduce this a little. just my .02

I know www.indyracecores.com can make about anything. There like 20 minutes away from me and there trying to expand there apps. When I get my stage one kit, They said I can drop my car off and they'll take care of all the piping for cost so they might have some apps for us soon. I've heard nuthin but good stuff about there intercoolers from the dsm community and alot of locals are runnin there stuff. Plus www.crracing.com is like 5 minutes from me and I think they can make em too.

well since you say you cant run 10 psi of a starion, whats the difference between a hrc sidemount and the starion, the sidemount is supposedly to be capable of alot more then that? like 13 or 14? am i correct on this whats the difference between the starion fmic and the hrc smic?

well I really like the dsm-performance intercooler i know its 700 dollars for the intercooler with no piping but it is awsome

tell me what you guys think

efficiency, that's what makes them different. alot of the guys on DSMTALK actucally feel that the starion intercooler is less efficient than a stock 1st/2nd gen sidemount. also i'm not too keen on top to bottom flow intercoolers. they just don't look right to me.

peace, ttyl....

You car correct, starion is not very efficient, but it does cool a lot better than a 1G/2G. Basically the starion has a large drop in pressure before inlet to after outlet. I am not sure of the numbers, but it would require a boost gauge setup in both places. I do know this. When I datalogged, the outside air temp was between 50-70 degrees. I did this early morning and then late afternoon(humidity was roughly 85% both times)and I got about the same intake air temp both times. It was roughly 90F during 3rd gear pulls. This tells me the turbo flow is restricted going through the intercooler. The intake temp is a constant with the outside air temp differences. I also did some pulls with the temps down to 40 degrees a different day and intake air temp was approx. 85 degrees. This tells me the intercooler is operating outside of its efficiency. I was boosting 10 psi(star kit) during all of this. I would bet if I dropped the boost to 7 psi, the flow would be less and the intercooler would drop the intake temps much closer to the outside air temp. I am thinking(guessing) that a starion at low boost 6-7psi star kit or 9-10psi HRC kit would keep intake temp to within 15 degrees of outside air temp.

The HRC side mount is smaller and does not get near as much air flow over it as the starion front mount. It is a much more efficient intercooler than a starion and will cool the air much more than a starion. It is still rated at 13-14 psi on a HRC kit.....this is probably about 10-11psi on a star T3/T04 turbo.

So basically I think a starion is a great intercooler for less than 8psi on a star kit and 10-11psi on a HRC(16G). It is the best deal going.....that is why I used it for a year now.....time to upgrade.

Corky Bell lives by a top to bottom flow front mount. Efficiency is best in this application if you can get a large enough core it will still cool great. I am probably going with a side to side core(griffin) because of cost and cooling capibility. I am probably going with a 10x20 core and with the endtanks it will make it 24 inches wide. I am going to run the right side pipe over the intercooler and the left side will be out the top side.....like the far pic above.

thanks guys.....any more input.