Stealth Intercooler?

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

I'm gonna hopefull be getting an SR fairly soon, I'm thinking i'm gonna get the HKS intercooler. Only problem is I won't want the cops seeing this fat intercooler in my airdam. Is there any way to put an intercooler that nobody can see? I mean paint it or something? Is there a mesh or something you can put in front of it that will make it invisible? The SR is a totally illegal engine in Ca.

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

I bought a lightly used IC off of someone. He had is sprayed jet black by a radiator shop. His story was that it wouldnt messup the cooling effect.. Might wanna look into that..

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

When it was installed was it hard to see?

Post by **nrcooled** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

The black paint will have an adverse affect on cooling. Black absorbs heat no two ways about it and no way to stop it. My suggestion is to stick with the SMIC if you want to look stock. you will miss that 20hp from the FMIC though:D

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

I havent installed it yet so i dont know.

Nr Cooled. I am SURE That black radiator paint is just horrible for absorbing heat.. thats why ever stock radiator in the world is sprayed black. I sure hate when i leave my radiator in the sun and it heats up.

Post by **bp2ooo** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

i wanted to get my front mount powder coated, but after talking with some people everyone told me it would be horrible for the front mount. wont cool near as good as it should, so i wouldn't suggest it. as far as not bein able to see it, i have the greddy front mount, and with the stock s14 bumper you can hardly see it. makes my car look a little more like a sleeper, i kina like it. i know that the stock front bumper is really restrictive, but with the stock t25 turbo it will supply way more then enough cooling and air for the turbo. good luck, ps i will post pics as soon as i get my car back.

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

Okay.. I guess painting it sucks. Is there anything you could put in front of it like a grill or something that will make it hard to see?

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

bp2ooo, would you like me to put a profile of your car on my site? Do you have any pictures/videos?

Post by **Onizuka** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

howabout custom mounting the FMIC in a place where it cant be seen and use air ducts to cool it. I dunno, just a crazy idea i had...

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

hehe.. I don't think there is anywhere else to put it.. I don't want to go that crazy. I don't want to lose effectiveness..

Post by **firefighter81** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

well you could consider getting an upgraded side mounted intercooler. Lots of my DSM buddies upgraded to a Supra TT side mount intercooler. Now I'm new to the Nissan crowd, so I don't know how well that will work, can anyone verify that this will/won't work?

Jason

Post by **Phax** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

The most stealth intercooler I have ever seen was on my mechanic's old Alfa Milano. He plumbed up an intercooler box for the super charger, that used the air conditioning to cool it. If you have the cash, you might want to look into something along those lines. Or maybe air-to-water intercooling.

Post by **MojoMan** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

How about we just stick it on top of the roof and disguise it as a pizza delivery sign. Anyone order a 300 hp large pizza. Oh ok. That'll be $12,000. Your only giving me a $ 1 tip? No marinara for you!

Post by **chrispy** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

top mount IC like the wrx, very good for quick throttle response

Post by **bp2ooo** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

240sxer i will get some video and more pictures once i get my car running. Id really like to see ur site before you put some stuff up of my car. Email me, [email protected], Peace

Post by **Onizuka** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

chrispy wrote:top mount IC like the wrx, very good for quick throttle response

those are nicnamed interheaters for a reason

Post by **lessthanjakejohn** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

mount it under the car and rig up a sheet metal scoop.

Post by **undertaker** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

i am pretty sure radiators and numerous standard intercoolers are painted black for a good reason, black radiates heat very well as well as absorbing it. it is fine to paint an intercooler black as long as the paint does not insulate the core, get the right type of paint and dont put on a very thick coat.otherwise put a fine mesh in front of the cooler and paint that black, also protects the core from damage.

firefighter81, the side mounted coolers dont get the best airflow but an bigger core will still be an improvement

Post by **Drakon** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

SImple wire mesh stuff painted black should duisguise it some. or the top mount might be an idea, witha custom hood.

Post by **240SXer** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

I think i'll look into how bad painting it will be, if not i'll get some chickenwire (mesh) to put in front of it that'll hopefully hide it without losing effectivness. I guess i'll have to get a really good intercooler to make up for it...

David.

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

Definatly look around ofr a radiator shop.. The black IC plays right into my Blackout240 plan. mwha ha. And the black pipes are gonna make the underhood look sleek.

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

you can always give it a turpintine bath later..

Post by **240r** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

I have a side mount, and was wondering, could I put a fan behind so more air passes through. Will this help at all, I was thinking about sticking one of those electric turbos behind by intercooler. I think it should help rite?

Post by **IneedMoney** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

get 2 smic and put one on each side. just have to lose the windshild washer.

Post by **S13Owner** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

i think swain has a black intercooler coating that has little to no adverse effects on the intercooler's ability to cool, but i could be wrong.

Post by **nrcooled** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

IneedMoney wrote:get 2 smic and put one on each side. just have to lose the windshild washer.

The price for custom piping would be outragous. There will be adverse affects from painting the FMIC all you can do is minimize the severity of it. So I say why bother?

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

and i say your probably dont know what your talking about. Radiator paint is designed to allow the transfer of heat. Aslong as you dont block any off the fins there should be no problem.

Post by **lessthanjakejohn** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

you could anodize it black.

http://www.warpig.com/paintbal...shtml

Edit:

ACTUALLY I WANT YOU TO ANODIZE IT BLACK. THEN WHEN YOU ARE DONE, MAKE SURE YOU POST PICTURES =)

Post by **nrcooled** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

Cyberkreig wrote:and i say your probably dont know what your talking about. Radiator paint is designed to allow the transfer of heat. Aslong as you dont block any off the fins there should be no problem.

It is a simple matter of thermodynamics and heat transfer/absorbsion. 1.Black absorbs heat so when you want your I/C to be cool as possible it will be working over time getting hot in direct sunlight2. Radiators don's face direct sunlight so them being black doesn't have as big of an effect on performance (i/e it will be hot anyway)3. Stock radiators are black because most of them have plastic endtanks and they don't show discoloration as much.

Why don't you think Blitz, Greddy, HKS, HPI, Spearco offer black or otherwise colored FMICs? Because they are not as efficent as possible and don't offer maximum gains.

If you leave both a painted I/C and unpainted I/C in direct sunlight long enough they will eventually be the same temp but the unpainted will take longer to get to the same heat temp as the painted one.

The painted one being "insulated" will also recover slower from heat soak

Post by **Cyberkreig** » Fri Jun 13, 2003 6:46 pm

Now its official. Your an idiot. I dont think its a big secret that black metal, or metal in general get hot when in direct sunlight, however an IC hidden 8" under your front bumber is not likely to see direct sunlight.

Along your logic: Why dont the big IC companies paint their IC's white? we all know that color attracts the least heat.

Stealth Intercooler?

Stealth Intercooler?

Nissan Forums

Infiniti Forums

Datsun Forums

Technical Forums

Classifieds / Marketplace

Nissan Motorsports

General Forums