1st Gen GP Most liked posts in thread: GP Intercooler wanted

Good luck. Your best bet is getting one in Europe though.

 

Second that. I think dealers actually require at least a picture of a damaged one. Could be anecdotal, but still.

 

Got mine off ebay for about $500 shipped with cover and diverter. There was a guy in Austria selling them a while back. You will not notice any performance gains and it will make changing plugs much more of a pita. But there is an undeniable cool factor...

 

You'll need more than just the vin and car info. You have to show proof of the damaged one and they may ask you a 100 questions. MINI doesn't want to give up any of the GP parts.

 

I have 2 for sale (IC only, no cover plate). $500 + shipping... (IC Dims is 19cm x 28cm)

Shipping will be done after 12/28/2009...

 

Oh, but the black cover is so cool.

 

It also needs the plastic thing that mounts to the hood (can't remember what it's called.)

 

That you can buy...

but you also need the little brackets that support the rear of the IC.

Matt

 

Mike I am going to try and call you about one of those.

 

Jim, you can't call me You'll have to email or PM me between now and X-mas cheers!!!

 

FWIW IMHO, the rear brackets are not needed and the hood scoop deflector for the stock cooler will work just as well. The cover is definitely needed though to get the full benefit of the cooler.

 

that can be arranged... but the cover cost half as much as the IC... you'll be looking at another $250 for the cover

 

Is the GP intercooler better than the GRS motorsport intercooler?

 

scratch what i just asked, I just found the thread about the same question :blush2:

 

Here's the deal for the R53

there are a lot of really nice desing features in the stock that just don't exist in any aftermarket unit I've seen. Mostly these come from low backpressure core entry and exit geometries, and the fact that the tubing is very, very thin walled so it has very low thermal mass. This leads to short transfer times.

While all the aftermarket units LOOK really nice, the core has to overcome the drawbacks of the air entry/exit pressure drops, and high thermal mass. That's a lot of barrier to overcome, and why many aftermarket units don't do as well as you thin they should.

that's why after trying a few, I'm just running a GP with the thermal dissipating coating. If I had to do it all over again, I don't know that I'd have even spent the money on the GP (but a while ago, you could get the whole set up for around $600).

The only ones that really need an uprated IC are those that are flowing A LOT more air. Then it's time to spend some real money based on a really, really good core. If I were to go this way, I'd use some internal baffling on the entry horn to assure good incoming air distribution into the core, and make sure that the entery (at least) into the core wasn't a source of a lot of pressure drop. This is expensive to do right.

Overall, I don't think aftermarket ICs make a lot of sense on the R53. They are expensive and the money can be used other ways that make more power.

Matt

 

Spot on again Matt!

 

^^^ Matt, good write up as usually ^^^

The Alta IC looks Big, but it underperforms compared to the stock IC.

 

Well, I got my GP I/C. And the cover. And the brackets. And the plastic hood thingie. And once I put a sticker on it it will be better then the rest of the GP I/C out there.

 

Not unless you paint it red.

Matt's writeup on MINI I/C is truly great and one of the better studies I've read regarding anything MINI related, he's got it posted on the FES site with his other articles. I still want a GP I/C although both the funds and need aren't really there, I just want to someday need it and then have it on there already when that time comes.