How big is too big?

[Dum-Dum]

When do you need boost when stationary at traffic lights?

Tbh this topic has been done to death. You will always get better throttle response from a top mount and you will always have better charge temps with a front mount (ish). I'd only consider going front mount when charge temps are ridiculous and the figures it's making are miles off what it should.

To put it into perspective Newage Impreza top mounts are capable of 400BHP easy.

You don't, but you might want your TMIC not to be hear soaked if you nail it off said lights or putting your foot down shortly afterwards or even just pootling around on a hot day as warm air is bad for your fuel economy. You can bet if it makes 5% more power through colder air you'd be getting a 5% better fuel economy.

The thing is a FMIC on a 306 is an easy and cheap job so if its worth a couple of bhp, a tiny bit better fuel economy and longer engine/turbo/oil life then its no bad thing.

The impreza is a whole different beast. They are a larger and more efficiently designed TMIC, they have a much better cold air feed and they don't sit 5 inches above the turbo and exhaust manifold.

I'd disagree with that point. IMO on any sort of warm ish day even on a light tune the FMIC gets HOT, never measured it but like probably 60-70*C. On a FMIC after a blast the cooler is often actually cooler than the ambient temperature. Lets put it like this, one of the days I tested it it was 16*C on the car thermometer and 12*C on the cold side of the FMIC. Were talking a 50*C difference there between TMIC and FMIC and if you believe the theory that every 10* drop in temp gives a 1% increase in power then on a 170bhp car your talking about the best part of a 10bhp difference

I did and your right! Didnt really affect power that much, mates had fmics on similar setups and power difference on dyno was around 10bhp, but out the road it was no massive difference for the amount work and money imo.

Nice to see that my point is valid, I suppose it makes a slightly bigger difference on the dyno because of dyno heatsoak but i cant see it making no difference on the road.