I will post pics later. My stock Hood has a rectangular hole cut where the hump is, with some mesh behind it. I'm finishing up my turbo kit and was seriously debating about expanding the hole a bit, placing a small scoop over it and mounting a 2G SMIC with some modified brackets facing up like a WRX. Its really damn cramped, but its looking like it will work.

Any thoughts on this???

I don't know, I think you might even raise the the intake air temps a little even with the scoop by bringing the smic into the engine compartment and actually restricting the flow around it to only at most a little bigger opening without looking like the ugliest thing around.You already move the battery?

Originally posted by madhatter210
You already move the battery?

my first thought.

IMO, unless you are really good at body work and can get paint and labor cheap I would save up for a good front mount. You'll spend more money on making the top mount work and look good than the FMIC would cost. $.02

Thanks guys, I've got the $ for a front mount... Just wanted to see if I could put the hole in the hood to good use.

Top mounts heatsoak like a bitch.

My friends 3SGTE has one and it is stupid cause it gets so hot that the paint is fading on the hood right around the IC. Toyota designers were on something when they decided on that idea.

All the top mounts I've seen on DSMs have been ugly as hell. I'd be more interested in a V-mount setup, where the intercooler goes right above where the exhaust manifold is, and then has all kinds of shielding and insulation and ducting. looks about as badass as it gets, but the only way I can picture it getting done is with something that places the turbo far to the driver's side (need to relocate fuse box and ECU), downpipe routing would be difficult, need battery relocation, get a HRC style intercooler (both inlets on same side) and then you'd only have about two feet of charge piping so throttle response would be amazing but I haven't discussed it with knowledgeable people enough to determine if it is actually a worthwhile idea. High speed aerodynamics with the v-mount setup is an issue because you force some air under the car, but it would be comparable to stock and our car's aren't quite so bad for that. Then you also have some issues with the intercooler being in the engine bay a few inches from the exhaust manifold, so its heat exchanging ability is cut down a lot. Plus you have to use a pretty small intercooler. Advantages of the setup are the wow factor, and that overheating due to lack of airflow to your rad will never be a problem, but the FMIC is tried, tested and proven on all kinds of DSMs so why both inventing the wheel?


cole's: a top mount or even v-mount intercooler is completely pointless on our car.

not to mention it will look like shit but it will not function because you will equalize the air pressure in the engine compartment.

basically put, if you have air rushing in the front and rushing into the top, the air wont come in. it makes you intercooler pointless.

so.. another mental note.. for those of you wish FMIC's, don't use a hood with holes in it, unless its designed to let the air flow out of it and not trap air in it.

Thanks for the GOOD input, was in too much fear of being flamed! Thought I would toss the idea out there and save on IC piping and all that crap. Any input on those Ebay FMIC's??

Give www.extremeintercoolers.com a call they can make ya one.

best time so far 14.3 @ 101.1mph(no traction)
www.cnnmotorsports.com

Originally posted by ProjectTalon420A
Thanks for the GOOD input, was in too much fear of being flamed! Thought I would toss the idea out there and save on IC piping and all that crap. Any input on those Ebay FMIC's??

My Mishimoto eBay front mount works perfect, and I got it shipped under $200 brand new, look at my site for the dimensions of the one I'm using (I listed the core dimensions, not the full intercooler dimensions).

www.johnnyracecar.com