im doing some work to my car and i am looking to have around 300 to 350 to the wheels and i have a stock wrx top mount on the car.... i want to upgrade to get a better increase but am not sure what to go with.. i like the idea of top mount but can i get a sufficient intercooler that wont be restrictive, would an sti top mount be any better or should i go for an aftermarket.... anybody have anythign for sale to?
There was a thread on it recently on here. Will thinks the ebay top mounts are ok, Scott thinks STI or expensive top mount are the only way to go
What are your ultimate goals with the car? Do you want to make more power eventually or do you think you are going to be happy with 300-350?
ok... forgive this dumb question but are the wrx and sti intercoolers the same or is there a difference?
Sti is bigger, so more surface area and more cooling. But it is still a tube and fin style intercooler which means kinda restrictive. I think the figures I have seen are around 2.2 psi pressure drop across it, vs .2-.5 psi pressure drop with both the ebay and the expensive bar and plate intercoolers. But, as pointed out above, for that range, it is doubtful you will need much more. But, I always try to think and plan ahead for the next step. Getting a nice bar and plate intercooler could take you as big as a GT30R. A good quality front mount, well, the wallet is the limit at that point, but I have heard good things (even from SS) about the SSAC ebay front mounts. There are also a couple other FMICs on the market now that look like they have good fin density and welds for a very reasonable price (read $150-200) but are sold without all the tubing. The tubing can usually be picked up for another $100, but plan on a little minor modification and fabrication work. The SSAC kits are complete from my experience and from all I have read.
Awesome info above, and everything I've heard about the SSAC kits have been positive. Personally, if your goal is 300-350whp and you don't plan on wanting more down the road, I would get a bigger, high quality top mount, rather than going with the STi TMIC. As far as FMIC, the three miles of tubing you get when you go FMIC will give you a bit more lag vs. a top mount. Some say it's not noticable, some say it's horrible. But just having less piping for all that air to be running through, it just makes sense that a top mount will net you better responsiveness. Just my opinion, though.
Depends on what you can find. The SSAC's are easy to find on ebay as a complete kit for as little as around $220+shipping. They fit well, but you still have to work it in there. They are proven to make power over the stocker and STi unit. However, for OEM fit and looks you cant beat the STi unit. It also makes power. I have one for sale, $350 shipped. Its in nearly mint condition. The usual going price is anywhere from $300 to $400 on those. Oh and there are lots of people making 400wheel hp on the SSAC TMIC. I've yet to see that out of the STI TMIC. Best STi TMIC results I've seen was a 20G equipped car making 340 on a mustang dyno.
thank you thank you everyone... i think i am gonna stick with topmount just because i want to be as sleeper as possible.... more than likely i will stick with an wti topmount unless i come across a good deal on another...