Best Junkyard Intercooler

[Onizuka]

I wanted to get a junkyard intercooler mostly because im cheap. If you know which one has the best flow ratings and efficiency please vote and post any experiences you have had (or your freinds have had i dont care). Yes i searched and i could not find anything that compares all of these.Which junkyard intercooler is best?

[stickgoat]

The stock 1g DSM intercoolers are tiny. Think cereal box...

[Onizuka]

from all the threads i read it seems like starion intercoolers are really good if you can find em. Ill be sure to cross DSM intercoolers off my list

[McAdam]

look for an Isuzu NPR truck intercooler. I thought it was a radiator first time I saw one. you can find em on Ebay every once in a while, bu thtey go for like $250 USED.

McAdam

[mattlord42]

Hey man check this article out. It gives flow test results for various junkyard intercoolers Volvo, Saab, Talon, Ford, Mopar, Spearco, Isuzu NPR, and Supra.

http://home.earthlink.net/~tur....html

Matt

[Onizuka]

thanks a bunch, it looks like the supra (MK IV right?) has the best comprimise between internal and ambient air flow. Jeez thats going to be hard to come by .

EDIT: i cant belive i missed it but the starion intercooler isnt on that test.

[Onizuka]

ok i think that one in the test was a MK III, it looks like the MK IV is silver as opposed to the MK III being black.

[Onizuka]

do you think this is worth $125 shipped?

[Nathan]

MKIII IC? No...you could probably swing a starion for that if you tried hard enough...I think Isuzu NPR intercoolers are the best junkyard ones though

[Onizuka]

what Isuzu is that off of?

Also, read that link mattlord posted, it says the MKIII actually flows pretty good.

[Nathan]

I've read that link many times...I dunno, it's just so godawful ugly The isuzu one is off an NPR truck...think BIG delivery truck kinda thing

[TougeRPS13]

Yeah go 300ZX! they only over heat because of outside sheet metal shrink rapped around frame, no room for air flow. Much like the RX-7

[Megaseth]

A starion IC will take a little to find, but they are good for the money and a good size. The 300zx IC is two side mounts i think. and like stated before, look for a truck IC, very big cause of the massive amounts of air needed to flow.

[red240ne]

Corky Bell's Rule: DON'T get an intercooler just for the sake of having one.

went something like that...

[Onizuka]

Corky Bell's Rule: DON'T get an intercooler just for the sake of having one.

:thinker

yeah, im getting one cause:

1) my motor set isnt coming with one

2) i want a cheap intercooler that does its job well.

[DSM91]

Depending on how much boost you plan on running, DSM intercoolers (especially the 1st gen ones) will be just fine. People run the 1st gen SMICs into the 11s without any problems. If you are planning on road racing, however, you would want something larger and most likely front mounted. I used the stock intercooler for 18psi daily in 100 degree weather with no problems on the stock 14b turbo.

A DSM intercooler is about as good as any other from the junkyard. There are better out there, but if you are really serious about it you wouldn't be getting it from a junkyard anyway.

[Megaseth]

how big are the ist Gen ICs. is there a way to maybe weld two together or connect the outlet of one to the inlet of another so you the air will have more time to cool.

[DSM91]

Yes, people have welded 4 together before. Is it doable? Yep. Worth it? Maybe. Again, if you really want a reliable front mount intercooler, however, I would suggest something aftermarket. The 1st gen SMIC will work well for daily driving up to 18psi or so.

Here is a picture from the turbo installation last summer on my Talon. The stock intercooler can be seen on the passenger side of the car. It looks tiny in comparison to the front mount, but it is actually quite efficient. Don't let its size fool you!

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Personally I myself like the Turbo-II RX-7 intercooler. Because of their shape, size, and where the inlet/outlets are located, they can be mounted just about anywhere. They may be hard to find, but deffinatly worth it, but then again, thats just my opinion.Ryan

[Megaseth]

DSM91, wow, the stock intercooler is small!!. about the size of the stock SR one.

[DSM91]

Dejon Tool (a DSM aftermarket company) has created a dual side-mount intercooler system for DSMs. It uses two stock intercoolers and a crapload of piping. The cool part is that it is just about as efficient and has the same pressure drop as some of the better known FMICs on the market. The stock IC isn't really as bad as it looks!

[Megaseth]

Thats really cool. and it probably looks slighty stock cept all the piping.

[CaptainHenreh]

A 944 turbo intercooler is front-mount, and all-aluminum, I believe. Really pretty.

I don't know about flow rates or anything.

And what about old Audi intercoolers? There are some bigguns out there.

[gibbo80]

well ive been interested in this also so everytime i hear about a turbo intercooler i wonder if it will fit on my car. I was talking to my dad and he said alot of airplanes have them, actually the vast majority. His old navajo ran at 35.5 psi with its intercooler and he desribed it to be about 2.5 ft wide and 1ft tall or maybe bigger. He said it would be a good size for a car. I know at our airport there is a plane just sitting there. If you could find some wrecked planes or talk to some mechanics you might be able to get one cheap

[Onizuka]

yeah but there isnt very many airplane boneyards any where. Im going up to a junkyard with over 10,000 vehicles on its lot and i want to know what im looking.