Say I had a spearco FMIC from a honda turbo kit lying around. Is there anyway I could fabricate an air inlet to go from those two air horns on either side of the stock intercooler down to either side of the front mount? I know there is the one kit out there that is $2000+ But that's of course, a little pricey for me. Just exploring possibilites. I always enjoyed seeing an intercooler from behind the front grille of a car.

 

This doesn't exactly look like it would be a smooth transition from the supercharger to the SOD (Supercharger Outlet Duct) but someone's gotta try it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Supercharger-MIn...mZ8002256253QQ

 

how would you attach a 3'' pipe to that? theres nothing for the pipe to mate with

 

A welder.

 

The only FMIC I've seen aside from the 2k c/f race unit is this:



'Liberated' from another NAMer's gallery, this one of Tony Nuzzo's race cars with FMIC.

Nuzzo folks could probably give you some idea of whether it'd be worth the trouble (using your honda FMIC). ALSO I believe the company that fab'd the NUZZO FMIC is posted somewhere here on NAM. Happy hunting & good luck with the project

 

I know a tuner who made his own. It ran like a charm til his better half got in a little bender and totalled the car. He is currently planning what he will do with his new toy . If you're looking for some advice or maybe even for a cheap alternative, I can probably hook you up.

 

Being a big Nuzzo fan, here a few more that might help with some ideas...

Note, due to the plumbing below, one loses the headlights...

 

Webb Motorsports has a FMIC. Link

 

I heard those were having a problem with the epoxy and CF. LRC was going to get it.

 

I believe Randy won't sell them anymore. You should check with him. But, then again, you didn't want it because it's 2k. Heh.

 

Thanks for sharing the pic's TonyB! Good amount of detail there

There's got to be a way to do an FMIC without losing the lights.

Re: the Webb FMIC... I thought it wasn't a 'street' item. Too noisy & the carbon having cracking issues due to engine motion & bumpy roads?

Problem with the FMIC is that the current crop of TMIC's are already pricey... And aside from the Webb piece no-one's tested and shown a significant performance improvement (over a TMIC) that would make the extra $/trouble of an FMIC a viable product (for most vendors).

There ought to be a way to have our cake & eat it too though. Still waiting for someone clever to come up with a solution.:smile:

 

minimc, thanks, and I got your PM moments ago. Since others might also be interested in more, well, here you go:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=42340

I'm hosting these in my Gallery, and there might be a few more there, but I don't know...

Nuzzo races next week at VIR, where they did quite well last year...

 

A tuner and good friend of mine in Miami, as stated above, fabricated his own FMIC. He says he saw like 15 whp on a dyno with the addition of his IC. It was hand-made and bascially a one-off for his own car [which he autocrossed all the time], but I would definately say that there is far more potential with front-mount than top mount...

 

there are several problems:

you could located the intercooler where Ramdy did, requiring bumper support mods, where Nuzzo did, requiring radiator mods, of find a new place, like at the very bottom grill area. all are tricky and involve some cost.
then you have to get the air in and out. randy's solution uses the stock snoots and has movement issues; nuzzo made new snoots; note how much stuff he had to fab, but it is the best way. remember he has ditched his AC and it looks like installed a special radiator.

bottom line is it won't be a simple install and it will be expensive.

 

The only one I've seen [although it was off the car at the time], was designed to go in front of the radiator. It would have been a close fit for sure, but not so tough to install if you put the car in service mode. Hell, that's the only way you could do it given the area you're working with. Anyways, if I were to upgrade the IC, I'd have my bud make me one just like it in a sec. Just gotta wait to stumble upon some more money! . It is, in my opinion, the only effective upgrade to the stock charge cooling system, besides adding my M7 hood scoop.

For clarification's sake, I'll add that I consider the larger TMIC's out there somewhat diminished returns after TonyB's testing showed that the stock one cools nearly as well as the GRS with the stock scoop and JUST as well [ie, quite well!] with the M7 scoop.

 

"It would have been a close fit for sure, but not so tough to install if you put the car in service mode."

knock yourself out, but share how you will address these issues: how are you going to get to the S/C port? and then what? how are you going to connect to the intake manifold?

 

service mode, jlm... bumper [plastic and metal] and radiator fan stuffs off [if you prop them up, angled open, you don't need to disconnect the coolant hoses!], gives you good access to the SC. Of course you have to take off the snoots and replace them with the custom fabbed ones [I believe I'm remembering they were custom, but this was a year ago...]. Hook everything up, refill coolant if you disconnected the coolant lines, install bumper and such. The point I was making is that there is a lot more access/space for working with service mode... Chill out, man.

 

I've probably been personally deeper into my car than most and can personally fab more parts than most, hence my point was: "bottom line is it won't be a simple install and it will be expensive."
Not saying one shouldn't go at it...but please share your details.

 

They are not my details to share, really. I have seen a kit that was pulled off of my friend's car post-wreck. He custom made it and I heard one other for a local guy. It fit quite nicely down in front of the radiator. He was quite happy with the finished product. From my experience, he does all of his custom work, and for a really good price. If anyone would like his info, I'll give it to ya, but he's not on NAM, so he won't be on here posting anytime soon. He's a great guy to talk to about all things MINI.

 

Fireball Tim & Hubie Fuh Rock!

Just saw this image from the Fireball Tim Racing blog. Hope it's cool to have liberated it . Big up for such a great looking install & FMIC . Wonder how well it works (re: 90°+ bends etc.)? This Twincharged car must be an absolute MONSTER.

 

Wow! I gotta think it's time for a custom supercharger outlet. That could simplify the plumbing a lot, especially if the headlights are no longer needed.

 

Care to elaborate a bit more as to what/how you envision routing?

While the headlights aren't neccessary for such a crazy drag car the car they brought to HIN appears to have headlights (functional?). Have a look at the other images at the blog.

When I look at the insane car they built it appears as though it could be made into a complete sleeper. Probably only the exhaust (thier CRAZY setup) would give it away - visually speaking. Obviously the goal here was to build a statement vehicle which attracts attention & has go.

Obvious visual cues: FMIC visible through air dam, HUGE twin exhaust, lexan windows, wing, front splitter, being tubbed & shod with drag radials. Aside from that this MINI could look quite stock
Having lots of go without all the show does hold great appeal to me though.

PS
Any idea of what that orange thing is on top of, or where the ECU should be?

 

the orange thing is a battery

 

Hi minimute,
EDIT:

just zoomed the photo. It does look like a battery.

So, is this thing a Cooper - with Cooper S parts, or is it a super-heavily modified S? ...Cuz I've never seen a battery under the bonnet of an S.

 

I'm thinking something like this:



That way you could have fewer bends (basically just one big 180* on each side).

BTW, since it's a FWD drag car, it makes sense to relocate the battery from the trunk to the front for better weight on the front wheels.