1.8t Intercooler piping

[turtlecrxsi]

Has anybody ever replaced the rubber intercooler hoses with hard pipes? Either aftermarket replacement kits or custom mandrel bent piping.

My wife's 1.8t runs excellent for its age and the amount of miles on it. If my wife decides to keep this car forever (seems like it now), I may go ahead and replace the old turbo with possibly a larger unit or leave as is if still in good operating condition. But most definitely I'd have the exhaust replaced with no cats and replace the intercooler piping. It seems that the routing of the hoses from the turbo under the radiator through the frame to the intercooler is excessively long; however, this factory design was probably engineered to let the hot exhaust gases cool off a bit prior to going into the tiny intercooler. I haven't decided whether or not I'd upgrade the intercooler (possibly if upgrading the turbo), but I'm certain that with hard pipes and less bends the engine may run more efficiently. Anybody dealt with this or have any thoughts?