Based off similar discussions I may be an outlier, but I drive in 110 degree heat regularly in the summer and if I'm cruising steady my temps are about 185-195. I don't see 200's until I'm crawling in traffic, and I've never gone into limp mode. I run stock heat spark plugs and am 100% stock besides the dizzy custom 93 and E30 tunes.
I can't speak to what the previous owner did to the car but everything on it looks stock and the service history was nothing fancy.
I only argue against generalizations like yours because I don't agree with people's "supporting mod" lists because it can be really cost prohibitive or unnecessary and people that are new to modding don't know any better.
The only "supporting mod" anyone needs when upgrading their turbo is an accessport and custom tune. Tuners will simply tune around the limits of your hardware, they won't push more boost and add more timing if it's not making more power, or causing knock or corrections.
Ok I cannot keep my mouth shut any longer. Lets throw some facts out .
1. The cars radiator was designed for Europe and the UK and also a normally aspirated engine that does not generate as much heat as Turbo engines do.
2. Plastic end tank radiators can and do fail and sometimes in a quite spectacular way. Which could cause you to overheat and blow a headgasket. Our cars come stock with small plastic end tank radiators.
3. You own a 2014 which is actually prone to a overheating issue with the head that is not only documented its a recall.
4. These are not so much generalizations as a consensus of many owner who have experienced overheating with the stock radiator. Yes you and a few others are outliers.
5. Its a practical safety mod that is not prohibitively expensive like you try to say. If it is one should not be modding their car in the first place. Ya I said that.
In conclusion its you who seems to be making the generalization over what seems to be overwhelming majority of owners that seem to feel its a wise and practical safety mod.
Given the amount of FiST’ owners that do the Aluminum radiator mod.
You can take your chances and preach all day long but you are doing a lot of owners a disservice saying they do not need it. That in and of itself is more of an assumption . It is not gospel and to advise against the mod is doing people a disservice.
Sure you can say you did not need it. But to state because you did not does not mean others will not .
in otherwords Your mileage may vary.