I am considering buying an FMIC, but worried that hacking the front end up may hurt the resale value of the car. Are the FMIC modifications really noticeable?

Should I just go with a bigger TMIC instead?

What kind of setup are you going to run. STI or WRX? If wrx just get a large tmic. If you have an sti and plan on going pretty far in mods, get a fmic. If its staying stg 2 get the tmic.

im going with a vf39 on my wrx for right now, then eventually an 18 or 20g. way down the road probably an sti.

The fact your gonna go stage 4 will hurt the resale value more than any bumper cutting you might do.

with a 18g I'd still go topmount.

After reading about how inefficient a top mount is - I'd go with a front mount BUT seeing how you are only going vf39.... a top mount is probably your best choice

I got a front mount - plan on going 20g (perhaps 18g not sure)

id go fmic with a stock turbo


o wait ... i did , then this slow 16g

i plan on doing a 20g next spring/summer ewg like now

just go larger tmic

who needs an intercooler..

To anwser the question you loose the black inner parts of your bumper and depending on the setup your foglights as well. If you take it out it's a very big gap that is noticable and on mine also made the corners by the wheels very flimsy

anyone have pictures?

No pictures, but I guarentee it will be too cut up to return to stock. At the point your car will be that modified though, why try and fake the seller out into thinking its never been modded? Thats not cool, might as well sell it with the fmic and the rest of the mods. The right buyer may even pay more. For an 18g or bigger, go with the fmic, you won't regret it.

im thinking i may buy an eBay FMIC and get a small core that will fit

Maybe when it time to sell you could trade someone who's thinking FMIC for a bumper cover that's pre-cut. I know I'd do it.

I have a front bumper that was cut from a fmic. I can post pics if you like.

ha sooo funny

please post

thx

The Perrin FMIC has the least amount of cutting but the fog will have to go. The EBay, turbo XS kits require a lot of cutting.
I have had the larger TMIC, Hyperflow, this intercooler work very well. I just went with the Hyperflow FMIC. I don't see any more lag over the lager TMIC. I will say that the kit has a 2" charge side, the Turbo XS and the EBay kits are 2.5". I can say that when I had to run the stock the TMIC after the hyperflow TMIC there was a huge difference power.
All of the intercooler where run on a VF30.

once you cut the bumper for it, theres pretty much no going back. If you do go back, I suggest you paint the stirophome piece that is covering the stock bumper beam or else you're gonna have a big white line right through there, and it aint pretty. If you go fmic, which I think you should...You're gonna have to be satisfied