I've heard from a friend that he had two friends that bought black anodized intercoolers, one perrin and one ams, and both faded to look purplish after time. Has anyone else ever had this problem? I'm planning on getting an ETS intercooler and was thinking about getting it anodized black but I dont want to if i can expect it fading to purple, ya know?! Comments? Experiences? Thanks

 

Anyone?

 

Anodize always has a tendency to fade with heat. It's inevitable.

 

Yes, I had an anodized FMIC on my STi and it did fade over time. It did not turn purple but the black became very dull over time. Granted it did see over 30,000 miles but it still faded pretty well.

 

if u had to do it over again... would you get it anodized or not?

 

We have been doing the anodized intercoolers for a couple years now and we haven't received 1 call about the intercooler fading, we have seen the opposite.. We have a few customers report the intercooler looks the same as the day they purchased it.

It might be the difference in the type of anodizing.

Thanks,

Michael

 

I should have rephrased my original post. It is actually the dye in the anodize that fades. Anodize is a clear oxide layer until they dye it. Anodize type is actually determined by the thickness of the oxide layer.

Most common anodizing is of the Type II variety, which is mostly for cosmetics and corrosion resistance. There is also Type III "hard coat" anodize which is a thicker oxide layer and offers better abrasion resistance.

Black dyed Type III anodizing typically looks darker than black dyed Type II anodizing because of the thicker oxide layer. I've seen plenty of black dyed Type II anodize parts where they become a dark purple tint as the dye fades. Type III anodize takes longer to fade because the dyed oxide layer is thicker.

 

We use a Type II / Class II for the black anodizing. The black anodizing is an architectural grade dye that is designed to last 7-10 years in direct sunlight. This is longer then most people will even own the car. We also use a Nickel coating that reflects UV rays to protect the life of the anodizing.

Thanks,

Michael

 

Thanks for all the input from everyone... after a long debate, research, and personal experiences told, I purchased the ETS Black Anodized Intercooler w/complete piping! Cant wait to get that stuff on!

 

I have a ford focus RS and I got the 5 inch purple ETS and it’s only been one summer and it’s faded by the hot side.