[ZephTheChef]

Ordered some goodies today. When it arrives, I should have everything I need to fab up the exhaust-side. The part that's going to add some complication to that part of the project is that with such a small turbo (you could easily run 2 of these on this engine) the outlet is only 2.5", and has relatively tight bolt clearance at that size...however, a single 2.5" pipe is going to put a bit of a choke on a 300+hp setup, so I've got to make a gradual transition to 3" pipe. The tricky part of that is that space is quite confined, and I'll need to have at least a couple inches of pipe straight out of the turbo before I put an elbow on it (for bolt clearance reasons). It's starting to look like a slightly larger turbo might be an easier option, but I'm firm in my choice, as I think the lag-free nature of this setup will just be too much fun.

I'm planning on 3 O2 sensor bungs, 2 to keep the stock sensors, and a 3rd after the two banks merge for a wideband. What I'll likely do is start with intercooler-wise, is just use a DSM side-mount intercooler placed in one side of the bumper, and build a fiberglass scoop to replace the splash guard, that will come down a little lower to force air through that region. That way I can prevent cutting a huge-nasty hole in the bumper, which I'd love to keep from doing so I can keep the car looking stock (to the untrained eye at least).

I'm also looking at a very slim front-mount option...it's potentially slim enough to stick in the front bumper with a crash-bar elimination. It's HUGE though. 33x17! I believe it's an OEM Volvo intercooler. It would be a chore making it fit, I'm sure. It's only 1 1/4" thick, so it wouldn't significantly impede airflow through the condenser and radiator. For the extra effort it would be, I think I'll just stick with the DSM intercooler plan. People always hate on side-mount intercoolers, but in every test I've actually seen done, they're usually one of the top-performers.