Piazza intercoolers

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Piazza_man
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Piazza intercoolers

Post by Piazza_man »

Stumbled on this today. A great read for intercooler buffs out there. The Piazza intercooler performed really well @9th overall from the best 25 JDM factory intercoolers in the world. Part 1:
http://autospeed.com/cms/A_1931/article.html
Part 2
http://autospeed.com/cms/title_The-Worl ... ticle.html
IZU069
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Post by IZU069 »

Great find! (As is typical of eyecon...)

And not bad for a 17 year-old inter-cooler as tested in 2003.


And not that [s]I am[/s] Isuzu is one to brag, but some of their designs impressed me greatly.
I'm ignoring their later new-gen batteries, ceramic engines, common-rail diesel injection...
Ignoring even their 1980 Piazza innovations like the door catches we now see on later cars, the climate control, digi-dash, etc etc...

But it was hearing of experiments that confirmed that the 1970 GT Type-R Bellett had the bonnet vents in exactly the right place (as tested some 25 years later) and - to quote - "could not be improved..." that started alerting me.

Sure, I was impressed with various Isuzu stuff like their dominance in circa 1970 Japanese circuit racing (and limits put on Gemini racing tyres in Oz), the first Jap car with EFI, the GT-R LSDs and the Bellett's 51:49 weight distribution and its IRS (though the Bellett mechanicals are essentially "a 1957(??!) Hillman Imp" or similar, and that IRS little different from others like earlier Mercedes etc), not to mention the phenomenal breathing of the G-W DOHCs (which was a 1960s Isuzu design - the Italians were merely consulted for its final tune)... (Hey, what other 2L engine gets 400Nm at 3,000 RPM like the late-1970's G200W without opening the engine?)
But it was the IMO finer things like air-flow detail that got to me. I then read of their batteries and ceramic engines...


As for handling and reliability, we all know of Isuzu's brilliance.
Oops - I'm on the Piazza forum.... And GMH Piazzas to boot! (Booting intentional.)

But it seems they probably still win engine-reckin' comps with their flat-out no oil, no coolant destructions. (The last I heard of some 10 years ago was a Chevy-LUV G161 OHV lasting over 90 seconds. Second was some other that lasted 25 seconds.)
Oh - did I mention the G200W or the G161W/GT-R circuit domination?

That they had a brilliant Piazza inter-cooler doesn't surprise me.
...Not that I knew until now LOL!

But I wasn't gonna mention such "modern" stuff like the 1980 Piazza fully-electronic EFI & ignition timing, and so on. (Post-1973 to me is a modern vehicle, and I still think of Mum's 1989 KE-Laser as "new". Post-2000 vehicles are recalcitrant - from, and I stress, a breakdown POV, and certain un-bypassable or non-changeable equipment (radios!!), permanent ABS and other "automated" features that cannot be disabled, security that strands you outside shops and in the MCG carpark, and cruise controls that cannot be disabled and cars must be physically slowed by vehicles in front...)


But yeah, Isuzu's reputation for leaking oil sumps is more humbling than owning a Triumph motorcycle :P... (or riding a Honda)...
... though Isuzus don't blow conrods down the numerous Conrod Straights throughout Australia and elsewhere so aptly named by ye olde days Trumpy riders... (Does NZ have many tracks or roads so named? :P :P :P)



Sorry eyecon, I just wanted to say thanks!
Please forgive my naturally occurring promotional stubs and long-missed digs...
IZU069 - ISUZU means a lot to me.
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