Intercooler options - Feedback Needed

ok, its official, even wtih the 87-88 intercooler gasket taken off, it still pushes the intercooler off my inline style intake. It's just too tall to keep factory IC and hood. Here are my options, i could use some feedback from the greatest forum people i know.. natoites... hehe

1) Install square style upper and lower intake with dip valve cover and factory ic w/fan mod
2) Front Mount IC with blow thru vam
3) Front Mount IC with MAF conversion
4) Water cooled IC with blow thru vam
5) Water cooled IC with MAF conversion

Plans for car is fun weekend driving on back roads and enjoying warm days hearing turbo spool while feeling the car pull my head back over and over again....

If your going to go with a MAF or blow through VAM you will need a wideband O2 to tune it. I say go for it if you can get a good tune on it and/or have the $$$ to spend.

If you go to the square intake set up, the bolt pattern is not the same. I forget exactly, but think the square intake has 1 more bolt ?

you have to drill and tap for the front upper intake bolt. i didnt have to use the dipped vc for my 88 and i have used 2 different old style valve covers so far.

The later, '87/'88 I think, throttle bodies have the idle stop screw relocated. On my '86 the adjustment screw head is underneath the TB and points at the valve cover. I believe it would hit the '86 VC with the '87/'88 shorter upper manifold. If you've got the '87/'88 throttle body the idle stop screw is relocated and isn't on the underside of the throttle body.

well i dont have access to a wideband.. i live in a hick town... I have a super coupe TB i was thinking of using, i know that people say it dont make a hp difference, but i LOVE a responsive throttle... i was going to get a knife edged upper and have him mount my sc tb so i will prob need the dipped valve cover. PE and big vam swap too :-)

Ok after doing some comparision, i agree that a bolt hole will have to be tapped in my head. I really dont want to have to do that so that eliminates the option of switching to the square style intake. With that sayed, and the inline style intake being too tall for the factory ic to work, i will have no choice to run a front mount or water cooled ic setup.. unless someone knows a trick or two