Any Interest in an Intercooler Kit for the 3SGTE Swap? Options

[Dr_Tweak]

Well this has been a project that I've been wanting to do for a few years now, build a nice front-mount intercooler kit with the intercooler, brackets, piping, clamps, couplers, and everything, and be able to ship it to people doing a 3SGTE swap. Unfortunately it's taken this long to get the skills, equipment, and opportunity to actually do it. Since finishing prodigy515's engine swap, I have it available to jig and blueprint all of the parts. The intercooler setup, if you haven't seen it, can be seen here:

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...mp;#entry723395

It comes with a Precision 350+hp High-Density intercooler, all polished aluminum piping, 4-ply silicone couplers, and stainless steel T-bolt clamps. The 3" true cold air intake seen in the pictures is also something I may very likely build and release.

The kit is going to cost right around $1000 - $1100. Before anyone brings it up, yes, it is a lot cheaper to buy an $85 ebay intercooler and some of that cheap, thin-gauge, chrome-plated aluminum piping and do this yourself. If that's your style, this kit is NOT for you. This is a high-end front-mount system that's far better than, for example, the intercooler setups that Greddy used to sell, and right on par with front-mount kits that come with Turbonetics turbo systems.

When designing this system, I paid a LOT of attention to avoiding modifications to the body of the car or any parts of the car. That said, you do need to drill a 3" hole in the thin sheetmetal between the radiator support and the frame on the passenger side of the car (shown in the above thread). For the cold air intake, you also need to bend the bracket that holds the cruise control actuator ever so slightly towards the battery (this is required either way with a 3SGTE swap, so that the radiator hose doesn't contact the bracket). Finally, there is a very small amount of trimming that needs to be made to the inside of the bumper cover, and four holes need to be drilled into the bumper support for the bracket (you cannot see them once the cover is installed). That's about it, the battery can stay in the stock location!

I'm posting this thread up to gauge interest before I invest a lot of time/money into actually building these kits. Thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome

-Doc

[Terracar]

If this would fit the 5th gen might want to drop a post over at AT.net


Edit: just remembered ( myself on that one) side feed vs center feed - though might be an easily interchanged section - might get some more interest though.
-Terracar

This post has been edited by Terracar: Oct 30, 2008 - 12:11 PM

[Dr_Tweak]

If this would fit the 5th gen might want to drop a post over at AT.net


Edit: just remembered ( myself on that one) side feed vs center feed - though might be an easily interchanged section - might get some more interest though.
-Terracar

Either way I'm going to build another final piece on the cold side for gen 2/gen 3 engines, but I'm going to have to build a completely different kit for the 5th gen Celica anyway.

-Doc

This post has been edited by Dr_Tweak: Oct 30, 2008 - 12:26 PM

[1bwilson]

Just wondering, would the hot side match a 5sfte?

[Dr_Tweak]

If you were running a 3SGTE turbo, yeah... for that matter, the cold side would probably be pretty darn close as well, with a different size coupler at the throttle body.

-Doc

[95st-celica]

i think its a good idea but to be completely honest i dont think many people on here have 1000-1100 to spend just on an intercooler and piping set-up...i understand it is high quality and you proably will get the few that will spend the extra $$ for the kit, but to be completly honest i dont like the way the pipes are ran...it just doesnt look right...i like the way lagos' and a few others on here have their pipeing ran...in my personal oppinion it just looks cleaner (dont take it to heart, you asked for honest oppinions lol) you have a good idea but thats just my $0.02

[3WayStunna]

Alrite excuse my ignorance, but this kit would work just as well on the GT4 model celicas right? Or would there be different modifications that would need to be done. Im talking about both the Jap spec/Uk models.

On another note, i gather that the kit comes with piping, intercooler, all hoses and clamps, and even a filter, correct? Well considering the price, some ppl might feel as if they are getting more bang for the buck if a BOV was included, along with or either having the bung for the fitament of a BOV of the owners choice (in case including one with the kit is a bad idea).

Oh and some details on the intercooler that is offered. Dimensions, flow rating (lol, just throwing that in there), but in general just info period on the type and quality of intercooler that your offereing. I mean, like the last poster had said, 1000 or more for this kit is a nice penny to pay, and since your asking us out thoghts/suggestions, can we know what your exactly offering?

[Dr_Tweak]

i think its a good idea but to be completely honest i dont think many people on here have 1000-1100 to spend just on an intercooler and piping set-up...i understand it is high quality and you proably will get the few that will spend the extra $$ for the kit, but to be completly honest i dont like the way the pipes are ran...it just doesnt look right...i like the way lagos' and a few others on here have their pipeing ran...in my personal oppinion it just looks cleaner (dont take it to heart, you asked for honest oppinions lol) you have a good idea but thats just my $0.02

As I'm sure you know I've tried just about every possible route when it comes to intercooler piping on a 6th gen, and this is by far my favorite. You'll note that the piping route allows for a full 3" true cold-air intake to the turbo WITHOUT having to relocate the battery

Alrite excuse my ignorance, but this kit would work just as well on the GT4 model celicas right? Or would there be different modifications that would need to be done. Im talking about both the Jap spec/Uk models.

On another note, i gather that the kit comes with piping, intercooler, all hoses and clamps, and even a filter, correct? Well considering the price, some ppl might feel as if they are getting more bang for the buck if a BOV was included, along with or either having the bung for the fitament of a BOV of the owners choice (in case including one with the kit is a bad idea).

Oh and some details on the intercooler that is offered. Dimensions, flow rating (lol, just throwing that in there), but in general just info period on the type and quality of intercooler that your offereing. I mean, like the last poster had said, 1000 or more for this kit is a nice penny to pay, and since your asking us out thoghts/suggestions, can we know what your exactly offering?

Yeah I think it would fit GT4 and RHD models just fine, as far as I can tell. Is your a/c accumulator on the right or left side of the car?

The kit comes with absolutely everything, and I would be happy to weld in a BOV flange of your choice for no extra charge.

The intercooler being used is a high-density Garrett core. The overall dimensions are 26 3/4" wide x 6 1/4" tall x 3 1/2" thick, with a 2.5" inlet and outlet. This pic shows the difference between a high-density core and the cheaper intercoolers out there:



The high-density obviously has MUCH more surface area which greatly increases its cooling ability. This intercooler can bring the temperature of the compressed air coming out of the turbo down to near-ambient temperatures.

-Doc

This post has been edited by Dr_Tweak: Oct 31, 2008 - 11:03 AM

[6G94celica]

A good idea indeed, to bad i dont have that much. just curious tho because i have a spearco front mount already installed but with cheap 2.5 inch aluminum piping. what do you think youd charge if i were to bring my car to you just to weld up some piping to fit. just out of curiosity ill be coming to have it done eventually anyway

[Dr_Tweak]

A good idea indeed, to bad i dont have that much. just curious tho because i have a spearco front mount already installed but with cheap 2.5 inch aluminum piping. what do you think youd charge if i were to bring my car to you just to weld up some piping to fit. just out of curiosity ill be coming to have it done eventually anyway

It depends on how much fabrication needs to be done, some of the joints may very likely need to be redone because then need to be just about perfect before welding them, but I'd estimate $250 - $500.

-Doc

[6G94celica]

what do you think it would cost if yoiu were to use new pipe, something a little better.

[Dr_Tweak]

$800 to do it with all new piping/clamps/couplers, just like the kit shown above. Basically it would be the whole kit except you provide your own intercooler.

-Doc

[Dr_Tweak]

Well at least one person likes good stuff, I just sold one of these kits

[95st-celica]

pictures of it installed? or did you not take any? and who bought it? a fellow 6gc member?

[Dr_Tweak]

He just bought it, I have to order up the parts and build it for him. I'll have him send me some pics though. He is a 6GC member I think, yeah.

-Doc

[presure2]

awesome tweek.
it's nice to see some people spend some actual money, doing things the right way.
out of curiosity, what are you using to weld up the kit?

[Dr_Tweak]

Yeah I'm pretty excited about it too

I'm using a Miller Synchrowave 200.

-Doc