I have done absolutely nothing to the body of the car other than tint the windows and a few rock chips on the front bumper. I was thinking of leaving the exterior just the way it is amber marker lights and all.. is there any way to paint the intercooler or would that take away from its efficiency? Or should I just put a grill over it to cover it up as much as possible? What have you guys done?

 

You can't see it with the stock bumper, or you can paint it black if you're worried about someone bending down to ground level and looking up in there. They make special paint that is supposed to increase it's effeciency slightly, but I doubt some high temp black would hurt its performance at all.

 

why would you need to hide the intercooler?

 

Cool!!!! I had better get on the net to find some of that paint thanks. And the reason I want to hide it is so you cant see it.
Just kidding man. #1. I want to hide it so you cant tell I have a turbo, especially when its parked. I don’t want to make it a juicer target for thief’s. I had a car stolen because I had all the decals of the crap I had put on it. it was like a grocery list for the guy who stole it, I spoke to him and he had told me he stole mine because of all the mods. He could part them off and make more money that way. # 2. it will match the oil coolers.

 

ahh, I see. Most people like the look of the intercooler in front, but if you want to keep it hidden and be a surprise that's cool. Never thought about hiding it for safety reasons.

you spoke to the guy that stole your car????? I hoped you kicked his *** too.

 

Funny I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately. I gotta go to the auto shop and try to find some of that paint that you are referring to.

 

anodizing the intercooler will be more efficient if you can find a place to do it. when you paint the intercooler with regular paint it creates a thick layer a paint which doesn't allow the intercooler to cool as well. Anodizing is a very very thin layer which would be more effective for what you are trying to do.... and it would probably look better too.

Jon

 

He was in a rehab program after jail and I wanted to see how he was doing. Going trough the court presiding I learned of the way he went from a soldier to junkie. Pretty jacked up. I saw him working at Pep Boys and just started talking about what happened a couple of years before. He told me he had been paid to steal a car for the transmission, when he saw mine he thought bingo I can sell the other stuff and make a killing. Balh blah blah you get the idea. Now I’m paranoid about this stuff.

 

you mean like powder cote

 

no powdercoating still leaves a pretty thick layer of paint, however it is much better than spray paint. Here is some info on anodizing so you can read up.

http://www.anodizing.org/what_is_anodizing.html

 

isn't there intercooler paint ?

 

Woahhhh that stuff is big$$$ I found this one in AZ

http://www.mppgroup.com/arizona.html

 

Please forgive my ignorance, I'm just thinking out loud.
How about placing in the engine compartment behind our radiator?

 

It can be in front but not behind the rad

 

Doesn't look like there's any way around besides anodizing or mounting your intercooler deep. Most people don't bother bending down to see what you got underneath, besides many might think its the radiator.

 

Actually, microetching is best.

 

OK I will bite.. What the hell is that?

 

I'm going to have to look into this. Before I was thinking of painting it black... glad someone finally posted the question.

-hS

 

No problem man you can count on me to ask of the wall questions with no fear of flaming.


I had an epiphany (is that how you spell that?) guns are black and they are tough take lots of wear and tear…and they have aluminum. Sooo, why not a gun bluing kit.. its cheap wont fade and its super tough, it wont hold heat in and is not really a paint but a chemical reaction like anodizing is…Chekit ,and if I ding it I can order more.

 

OK.
Why can't it be behind the radiator?

 

For the same reason the AC radiator can’t be behind it, it won’t be as effective. Or effective at all. The whole airflow thing. I don’t know the whole science behind It, I just know it won’t work maybe some of the engineers here could explain it, but me? I use the Russian approach.

 

Actually there's a lame way to hide your intercooler I thought of, just use some kind of black colored mesh that appears opaque from different angles except when directly in front.

 

Call me The Great Carnak I posted this answer seven months ago.

https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...43&postcount=8
________
Bondage Vids

 

And you thought you weren’t special..LOL that is badass, but I think I’m going to experiment with that bluing stuff. I want to see what I can get when I dip that thing, Its something a little different and I did it my self..Yeah that’s what I will probably end up doing.

 

here is the price list.