Precision 350hp intercooler vs. Mishimoto Z Line intercooler
#42
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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
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
They are not "great" but the best budget oriented intercoolers out there. The majority of newer eBay ones are complete crap. The Vibrant 12800 is about $150 on Amazon and there is nothing else in that price range that is anywhere near as good. All the better IC cores get much more expensive very fast. If you have the money it is worth getting a better IC core, but if you are on a budget then the Vibrant will work for a stock motor.
#43
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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
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
#44
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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.
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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
Last edited by Savington; 02-15-2017 at 08:59 PM.
#51
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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.
![](http://fe3miata.com/site/wp-content/images/15_0715_intercooler-01-800.jpg)
![](http://fe3miata.com/site/wp-content/images/15_0715_intercooler-01-800.jpg)
![](http://fe3miata.com/site/wp-content/images/15_0715_intercooler-02-800.jpg)
#52
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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.
#54
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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.
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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.
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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.
#59
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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?
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?
#60
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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.
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.