b5 a4 1.8t TOP MOUNT INTERCOOLER PROJECT
 

I want to go intercooler, but still want to drive in winter...
i was thinking on doing my own custom TMIC and hood scoop.... Is this possible
? has anyone heard of anyone doing this?

Haven't seen one, ever.

If you did a TMIC, where would you put it? There's not much space above the valve cover (not to mention heat from the engine). Perhaps it could be placed on the driver side above the ABS unit, but it wouldn't look very good and servicing the car would be cumbersome. Also keep in mind that many guys who own cars with a factory TMIC (think WRX...) opt for a FMIC. Not all, but some do.

What's wrong with a FMIC and driving in winter?

ive been told that snow will cover the FMIC and render it useless.. and i want to do something that no one has done, be creative.. i was thinking about putting it in the firewall gap where the battery is

This wasn't an "issue" I was familiar with, being in SoCal there's never any snow where I live (and any roads going up to the mountains are plowed).

Did some light "research". The biggest issue it seems is blocking airflow to the radiator, when you have a FMIC that's covered in snow.

Personally I don't see how having a FMIC covered in snow is such a bad thing... the snow ought to do a pretty good job of cooling the FMIC, so that the FMIC would act like a heatsink to the charged air flowing through it. (BTW, I have a degree in mechanical engineering and have studied heat transfer a fair amount. Unless somebody comes up with data showing increased IATs due to snow blockage I'm sticking with my opinion).

How about getting a larger SMIC? Seems like too much trouble/cost to do a TMIC (custom piping, finding a core that will fit, modifying the hood, figuring out how to mount the TMIC, etc.). A larger SMIC should do what you're looking for, I'd think.

Something like this guy:
TyrolSport UG SMIC Intercooler for B5 Passat/A4 1.8T

Just no room to put a core on top of the 1.8t motor unless you were going to put it up above the stock hoood and build the hood around it, but that is just going to look odd. Plus the core would end up getting heat soaked from all of the heat coming off the motor.

Better option would be to go larger SMIC or go to a Air to Water intercooler setup.