Painting A FMIC Flat Black intercooler paint ic [Merged 12-6]

[2fastTSi]

Dark. Sleeper . And I second the beer idea.

 

[97 4G63]

I would just keep it plain aluminum,

 

[Splitpi]

Here's how it looks unpainted in the bumper ...

Oppinions?

 

[VTRICCO]

definately go dark. it will blend in much better with the paint scheme

 

[T9S1i]

whatever you do, take off that damn front liscense plate!!! i hate how cars look with em on!

 

[Splitpi]

whatever you do, take off that damn front liscense plate!!! i hate how cars look with em on!

I know, but Iowa cops are pretty nazi about front license plates and front window tint. I used to have the care tinted and after being stopped atleast once a month on my way to work, being a DD for friends (which involved 3 breathalizers from two different cop cars because they couldn't believe I was sober) and a couple hundred in "tint" fines. I decided it wasn't worth it and complied with the law. Its not even like I street race or even just race my car for that matter, I modify it because its a hobby for me... oh well.

 

[T9S1i]

yeah cops out here suck too, but its only a $10 fix it ticket for either the plate or the windows... i have my ways of talking cops out of writing me tickets too...

 

[1g_tsi_awd]

yeah cops out here suck too, but its only a $10 fix it ticket for either the plate or the windows... i have my ways of talking cops out of writing me tickets too...

Does it involve a face like this: ?

And this car looks good, dark FM for sure.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

We love it when other states feel the wrath of what us Cali guys have had to put up with for years. ENJOY!!!!! hahah

jk, trust the cali guys, we know what you mean.

1g_tsi_awd........ !!!!!!!!!!

Splitpi, do you have better shots of the car, showing the entire car, I personally don't like colored ICs, the paint will start chipping because of conditions, and then look worse. The only real way to do it properly, is to anodize it, but I don't see a shop willing to do the fins as I'm sure they are fragile and will prob bend a lot, but hey you could prove us wrong.

 

[Splitpi]

Splitpi, do you have better shots of the car, showing the entire car, I personally don't like colored ICs, the paint will start chipping because of conditions, and then look worse. The only real way to do it properly, is to anodize it, but I don't see a shop willing to do the fins as I'm sure they are fragile and will prob bend a lot, but hey you could prove us wrong.

I'm personally concerned that the fins and or components of the IC aren't all aluminium. Anodizing doesnt not treat non-aluminum metal well.

 

[T9S1i]

Does it involve a face like this: ?

And this car looks good, dark FM for sure.

haha, hell no!!! Im from San Francisco, but I aint like that!

You know you just gotta drop a name or two and talk to the cops right and usually they will let you go. Start a conversation about anything but the reason he pulled you over and blab his/her ear off for a minute and they will forget about what they were going to write a ticket for. It helps by showing them that you arent drunk/high/retarded/selling drugs/paranoid/conspicuous/stuffing your gun under your seat... Also if you dont have any criminal record, driving points of any kind, or atitude.

Good logic in explaining your situation helps as well.... yes sir, you had to drive 50mph to catch up to me in a 35mph zone because i was a block ahead of you... you cant make up any distance between the two of us by going the same speed as me, its the laws of physics sir... My father Sgt. John F, a fellow police officer of yours provided me with a good education and I cant see how you could catch me if you werent going faster than i was... officer interrupts...whats your dads name and badge #?... quick radio search... here's your liscence/registration/insurance son... slow down. (thats what got me out of my first speeding ticket!) Its all about the confident convo with the subtle name drop.

(my dad's a SF cop so that always helps too)

 

[EVOL_TURBO]

LOOK WHAT I DID!

There has been all this speculation and theories being posted up here, so i figured I would just go ahead and do some real testing. I used 3 thin coats of high heat BBQ paint and 2 thin coats of Crylon clear. I lightly oiled the inside of the fins so the paint would not build up in between them. I also did not paint the back side of the FMIC at all.

I recorded some numbers with the FMIC not painted. I got intake temps of 78 to 80 degrees at 70mph with an outside temp of 87 degrees.

Its been over 100 degrees here for the past few days. Once the temp gets back down to the mid 80's, I will test the painted FMIC to see what kind of affect the paint has, if any.

I will keep you all posted!

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[wt71gas]

Most radiator companies (especially radiator repair shops) use a water based paint for their radiators. It is thinner than normal paint and will not have any adverse effects. You can go to any local radiator repair shop and have them spray it black for a few bucks

 

[Module Unknown]

Looks good (for the time being). I painted mine black as well, but over time it got beat up and the paint chipped off from freeway driving. Now it's not so black looking. ...wish I could have found someone locally that was willing to try anodizing it.

How are you measuring your intake temps? Isn't that measured by the MAS?

 

[Black_Bullet]

Heres mines
( Yes I know I need a paint job, and yes thats a Laser frnt bumper, I just cut it out... )

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Didnt notice any difference in performance painting it, didnt effect tune or anything, only difference youll get is way less attention and spectators at your car... At night its invisible, especially with the headlights on

 

[always_broken]

I painted the core black and polished up the tanks, looks good.

So has anyone logged before and after of the intake temps? I'd like to know before I strip the paint because I'm being swayed by all the posts that it'll affect my cooling.

 

[Black_Bullet]

Just do a light coat and dont get crazy with it.. Focas more of the paint on the end tanks and not the fins. If you do it right, it wont significantly reduce your intake temps enough to even notice in a log. I would go for it if painting your intercooler black was what you had in mind...

 

[HIGHPSI4]

I painted mine flat black using the least amount of paint necessary to 'hide' it. You can look through my picture if you like. Flat black has been shown to be the best color to dissipate heat. The SR-71 Blackbird was painted flat black to dissipate heat caused by air friction.

Any way, those of us who still have stock cars can't be showing off......

 

[Black_Bullet]

I dont really mind showing off but i just rather be low key.( for example, I have a stock muffler w/ a exhaust cutout on 3in dp.) Very sleeper. People who know me say my cars a stealth car. I dont want a whole bunch of ppl trying to race me or peer at my car when its parked... But in the day time, due to how much I hacked the bumper opening bigger its still pretty visable. At night time youd never see it even if you looked for it, especially with these bright headlights shining in your face.

 

[HIGHPSI4]

Yea, I like to be low key too....

 

[Black_Bullet]

Yea, I like to be low key too....

Wow i just read your sig... 4g64 bored 0.40over ( didnt know you could bore a 64 that much ) and a 35R... Hows ya drive train doing .

Post a pic of your front end w/ your painted fmic. Id like to see it.

 

[HIGHPSI4]

Drive train is ok for now. I have very good torque. Turns my Goodyear F1's loose. Check my gallery for a picture.

 

[Black_Bullet]

Wow some mods.. With the bumper on due to the black paint, and its size, your fmic is invisible!

 

[always_broken]

80 something degrees today...l I got air temps of 109 with a fmic! I'm taking that black shit off now then I'll get another reading.

 

[siceclipse]

How are you getting those #'s

If its from a logger the intake air temp is measured at the MAF (before the intercooler)