Keeping the updates rolling through I've now got a 2.5i intake which needs to be shaved down, port matched and powder coated. Most of the bolt holes will go if not all but the fuel rail, intake mount and throttle body mounts and possibly the harness routing bolts underneath.
The common issue with running the 2.5i intake is that the injector angle is more down (say ~45 degrees) than any STI manifolds (~50-60 degrees), which becomes a problem with the AVCS solenoid hitting the fuel rail. This thread shows how others have solved this issue
https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/sho....php?t=2623604.
To be different I'm not going to using the massive 18-20mm spacers out there and instead will just use a 3mm (as i already had one) and then trim the connector off the solenoid and add my own pig tail into deutsch connector. Just using pliers to trim off the connector upper shell it's already flush with the top of the solenoid, and bending those pins 90 will get some clearance.
This is an old spare solenoid so soon I'm going to continue carefully removing the connector with a dremel and get even more clearance. After all this the pins will be soldered to some extension wires, potted and hi temp heat shrunk.