Ok, so i am sure i have read somewhere that if you are fitting an IC in front of a radiator you should leave a gap.

is this true? what is the ideal space? dont say not in front, i know that!

anyone know anything about ICs?

There's no set space,really - you know what it does,how it works,and what will cause problems. A mates GTi-R has its intercooler on the cam cover,so obviously at slow speed,the intercooler is heated up and its boost is low. If its in front of the radiator,it has an advantage in town traffic,as its fan cooled. If its too close to the radiator,it will draw heat from it. Not good. The gap depends on the car,how much of an enclosure there is,etc. Simply put,you want it as far in front and out in the cold as possible,yet in the fan duct - for traffic. And a scoop feeding it would be good for cooling on the move. You know all this yourself,but as far as rad-i.c heat transfer is concerned,its really a question of what works best. Buy a little stick-on thermometer,stick it on the ic and go for a few runs with it shielded/unshielded/moved slightly,etc. Remember this - The radiator wont be starved of cooling by the intercooler. The air that's cooled the intercooler is still cold. So get that intercooler right in the air duct,forward as you can,and you wont go wrong. Unless it gets hit by a large stone.. :)