TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

I'm still rocking an ebay tube/fin 12x18x2.5 core. I'll buy trackspeed's kit if I ever feel I need it.

d k

iTrader: (4)

Ive only ever dealt with Bell and Garrett in the past. Unfortunately Gerhard doesnt work there any more so I dont have hise extensive experience to draw from.

They are both very expensive and should only be trusted to a real good welder.

I was just curious if anything in the lower price range was even close and Ireceived my answer.

D

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

One of these days I am going to finish up the post I have started on IC's that will compare all the common ones that miata people tend to use. Currently in my garage I have a cheap eBay, a few vibrant cores, a few Bell cores, and I am going to get one of the nice ones that Savington will be using in his setups.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Yup. Treadstone is the top of the crop when it comes to ultra-budget ICs. A step above Vibrant. Precision is a big step up from Treadstone. The only shop making a better IC than Precision right now is Garrett IMO, and you play handsomely for that.

Utefan66

So no one have any comments to be made about the mishimoto z seems kinda uncommon used around here.
i like the treadstone but is it worth twice the price of a mishimoto and is it worth the extra 30+$ to just get a Percision

18psi

iTrader: (76)

is a 2016 miata better than a 1996? depends on who you ask, but you get where this is going.

Alternative

http://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-...3074553/page3/

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Took me less than 30 seconds to find a couple of glaring inaccuracies in that post. A lot has changed in 5 years.

e: Specifically, Precision hasn't used a plain square fin in at least 5 years, if not longer. TBQH that post seems like a bit of a hit job on Precision. Precision uses the same finned design as Garrett does. The Vibrant cores I've seen is a straight square fin. The Treadstone core I have is a "side split" fin.

finned > side split > straight square

Art

.

Art

.

m2cupcar

iTrader: (5)

I bought my intercooler from CXRacing over five years ago, advertised as a "delta fin" for the tapered angles on the tubes. Is this no longer representative of a typical eBay/China intercoolers? At the time, these were the cheapest thing going, but those who used them, were ok with them for the price.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

I wonder if Precision cores will change with the new ownership.

That looks great to me for a cheap intercooler. Mine is similar, except with traditional round tube/fin profile instead of that delta.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

most of those "delta fin" coolers are much worse now with just little riblets on the passages, they don't even bother with fins anymore. Much worse

m2cupcar

iTrader: (5)

Ah- ok. I remember somebody posting up an interior shot w/o "ribblets" and thought it was a mistake, but I guess it's now the standard. Not surprising when you consider price is what drives these eBay/Chinese products. At this point I've only done so low boost pulls on this intercooler, but it does seem to perform similar to the bar-and-plate eBay cooler I had prior. I moved to this delta fin to improve air flow to the other exchangers.

mmmjesse

Where does the spearco intercooler fall into the mix? It isnt as commonly used as the others but has been around for years.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

IIRC spearco is just a brand that caters to make/model specific setups, I believe it uses a garrett core, so it's good quality, but not really applicable to Miata's

I loved the spearco's I had on my subies

Savington

iTrader: (31)

I have always heard good things about Spearco, so I stopped by their booth at SEMA, took the end-caps off an intercooler while the sales guys had their backs turned, and peeked down. Straight rows. No stagger, no louvered fins, no nothing. I was kind of surprised. Maybe they have used better cores in the past, maybe that was a display piece, but I would want to look at any Spearco before purchase.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Fin density is lacking, but the fins that are there are well-designed.

x_25

I picked up one of the 27x5.5x2.5 bar and plate ebay intercoolers a few months ago andnit has very dense, offset rows of fins. Can't see any light through it. I will snag a picture when I get home later. For $70, I am pleased. Should have gone with the 7" tall one though. Oh well.

Any chance we can get a thread sometim about picking an intercooler, and what makes a good one vs a bad one (probably internal surface area and such, yes?) And how bad bad is and how much difference good ones would make?

mmmjesse

Good info. I need to dig mine out and see if i can peek inside of it at all. I bought mine used a while ago. looks just like the one i posted howevever the tank inlets are opposed rather than on the same side. It is an older one i bought second hand. supposibly came off of some 90's porsche race car. Never could vailidate but it doesnt matter. Got it cheap and it is appropriately sized.