so my car was in the body shop and while there the intercooler needed replacement so i had the stock one replaced with an ams unit.....i just picked up my car and somethings not right....

the intercooler says ams all over it but the end tanks look nothing like the one pictured on the site....they look like aluminum colored cast iron tanks(same texture)....not the shinny metal i was expecting....

did the shop get screwed over and get a fake..

thanks for the input guys

 

if it's brand new, they redesigned their intercooler to have cast-style end-tanks so its a more clean "stockish" look (and more stealth too...)

 

yeah its brand new...i just thought it might be some knock off...but if its the ams one than awsome...

do the cast end tanks improve performance any or is it the same or worse than the original design?

 

The Cast tanks are the new style for AMS Intercoolers.

 

I would bet my left nut that AMS would never replace something on their Intercooler with something that decreases performance. I would assume it would be the same or slightly better but not too much.

 

The cast tanks make it easier, and probably cheaper, to manufacture.

 

Ya i just installed the new ams intercooler and no problems... and i must say, ams makes quality products and i was suprised how perfect the fitment was when installing there products

 

The cast end tanks were designed using flow analysis so I would guarantee they perform better than sheet metal fabricated. The difference may be so small it may not be noticeable.

 

glad to hear the body shop got what i wanted then...

and i really hope the install was easy(body shop did it this time) cause im gonna be removing the darn thing ever 3 wweks or so when i go to the dealer for service.

 

The FMIC itself is a very easy install (hardest part is taking off the bumper). Only harder task is replacing the LICP if you end up doing that. =)

-Taranis

 

Hey guys,
I am looking into a possible fmic switch followed by some icp. My question is, not to steal the topic, but are there really major differences in the quality of fmics from certain companies? I have a friend who is a die hard evo tuner, enthusiast, etc, and claims that a lower end intercooler is just as good as perrin, ams, etc. I dont really think so, I like to make sure I am buying a quality product, usually the brand says alot about the quality in my eyes. But, curious if any of you have used other brands of fmics on RAs or other project cars and had luck?

 

the core is really what counts. end-tank design and layout is all pretty much subjective and the differences are pretty much nominal when comparing intercoolers of the same overall size and flow rates.

that being said, with knock-off style intercoolers, it's hard to know for sure, or trust that a company is being forthright with their flow capabilities and build quality. for the difference in price, isnt it worth just getting a well made part from a recognized company? stick with the pro's and you can't go wrong... ams, ets, buschur, you get the idea. why take chances to save one or two hundred bucks? in the long run its really not worth it...

 

the cast endtanks flow better. and its a real AMS. but, you should sale it on ebay for 200 shipped if your not sure.

 

im pretty convinced its not fake at this point
and even if it was anything is better than the stock interheater