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Front Mount Intercooler Question

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1987BuickGrandN

New Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2002
Messages
184
I have a daily driven 1987 Grand National. I have a mostly stock setup, basic mods, FP, ADJ FP Reg, Hot Wire, DP, EX, K&N, Stock Turbo, Stock Injectors. Would a front mount intercooler be a good choice upgrade for my car? I know it will be definately benificial if i add a turbo, injectors and torque converter. How much gain can I expect with a somewhat stock setup, say stock turbo and injectors?
 
My personal opinion, based on your info is; "No"! This would not be the wise choice for an upgrade right now. You would see a greater benefit from spending that same funding on various other upgrades.
Front Mounts are entering into the more serious racer territory, and are often overkill, as in your case. I have recently purchased a used CAS V2 FM, but, I intend on running 10's in the coming year. Per your current setup, and even taking into consideration a future turbo upgrade, I think you'd benefit further from getting someone to port your heads, or even buy the CNC'd Champion irons.
If you're dead set on upgrading your intercooler, it sounds alot more sensible for you to look into an upgraded stock location, such as the CAS V4 or BGC stretch. I'm sure other vendors have versions of this too. There's about a $200 difference in the IC cost, and also,,, you don't have to do a bunch of cooling system upgrades to support that big FM, which are expensive too!
Just think about it, and get more input from others. I continue to say it; "bigger is not always better..."! Too many people go out and buy huge turbos, or huge FM intercoolers, etc, and then wonder why their car slowed down. It's all a matter of combining the right parts, in the right order, so as to maximize and compliment each piece and maybe even spend a little less money...
Again,,, what are your goals in the foreseeable future?
 
if you want my opinion on doing something
before anything else get injectors
take a look at my sig
I ran out of injectors this weekend when my car was getting tuned
I cant run more then 16psi without alky or I detonate
the injectors are maxed out and I dont even have that much in

if you can spare the money, it might be good to go to whatever max injector you plan on going into in the future and getting it now with a chip (me I am going to 50s right away and just getting my chip redone for them)

I cant belive it happened to me, but I guess its a good thing
maybe I have a factory freak or something, but basically means I am making more horsepower without changing anything and just getting the injectors

Carl
 
Intercooler won't help you much with a stock turbo. Put your money in a bigger turbo and the fuel to feed it.
 
Stay with a stock location unit. I use a Mark Jackson 17 row with no street downsides. This intercooler can easily take our cars past the 130 mph mark in the 1/4 and will not affect engine cooling. Brian
 
I agree with these other posts, there are more important mods to do before upgrading the intercooler. Typically bigger injectors and turbo. On the other hand... PTE is running a great special on their front mounts right now until Dec 7. I just bought one yesterday.
 
thanks for the info. if i decide to go with a 4.1 down the road, will a front mount intercooler then be necessary?
 
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