what is the best intercooler on a budget?
Feb 4, 2013, 02:01 PM
#47
Evolved Member
Someone talking about upgrading their turbo running a <$200 intercooler I think is out of their gd mind. This car is not a rattle canned 240Z. I'm with all of Smurf's posts.
Feb 4, 2013, 02:25 PM
#48
My testimony is with the stocker, I'd get knock on the 2nd and 3rd WOT pulls where there was none on the 1st pull. A tuner on here suggested upgrading the FMIC. I did. Now no knock on the consecutive pulls.
And my crash bar is still intact.
Feb 4, 2013, 02:29 PM
#49
All in All the deals can be had, You can get luckyand get one on the cheap i did and its not crap. i have mine off here are a couple of pics.
I paid $265 for mine Shipped brand new
the core is 24x12x4 [not including end tanks]
It has the staggerd pattern just like a ETs intercooler, it weights 25.3lbs. It fits behind my crash beam, it works perfectly with my intercooler pipes.
Also it looks good, the core its self takes up the Whole area of the opening in the bummper when the bumpers on, so it gets good air flow.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
I paid $265 for mine Shipped brand new
the core is 24x12x4 [not including end tanks]
It has the staggerd pattern just like a ETs intercooler, it weights 25.3lbs. It fits behind my crash beam, it works perfectly with my intercooler pipes.
Also it looks good, the core its self takes up the Whole area of the opening in the bummper when the bumpers on, so it gets good air flow.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Last edited by blowngasket; Feb 4, 2013 at 02:34 PM.
Feb 4, 2013, 04:59 PM
#52
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I love my ETS red 3.5" IC. Ya i payed $675 for it and the anodized red but it get alota looks 
and im above 500whp so im glad i went with an IC brand i know is proven. I cant imagine going with a cheapo and always worrying about IAT. Or paying my tuner and then have him tell me that my crappy IC is the cause of knocks and then limiting my power.
and im above 500whp so im glad i went with an IC brand i know is proven. I cant imagine going with a cheapo and always worrying about IAT. Or paying my tuner and then have him tell me that my crappy IC is the cause of knocks and then limiting my power.
Feb 4, 2013, 05:19 PM
#54
All in All the deals can be had, You can get luckyand get one on the cheap i did and its not crap. i have mine off here are a couple of pics.
I paid $265 for mine Shipped brand new
the core is 24x12x4 [not including end tanks]
It has the staggerd pattern just like a ETs intercooler, it weights 25.3lbs. It fits behind my crash beam, it works perfectly with my intercooler pipes.
Also it looks good, the core its self takes up the Whole area of the opening in the bummper when the bumpers on, so it gets good air flow.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
I paid $265 for mine Shipped brand new
the core is 24x12x4 [not including end tanks]
It has the staggerd pattern just like a ETs intercooler, it weights 25.3lbs. It fits behind my crash beam, it works perfectly with my intercooler pipes.
Also it looks good, the core its self takes up the Whole area of the opening in the bummper when the bumpers on, so it gets good air flow.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
This intercooler looks nothing like the ets. It looks like the ebay one. ETS you cant see black holes like you can on yours. People you drive an EVO not a honda civic. Stop trying to go all cheap so when things go wrong its cause you didn't get proven parts but rather cheaply made parts. Now you got to go and redo everything and spend more money then if you would just buy the proven name brand stuff the first time.
Feb 4, 2013, 06:46 PM
#55
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^^^^ This guy said it right. Theres people out there that had a honda and got sick of getting beat by Evos so they go out and barely afford an Evo and then go out and think they can keep their mod budget the same. EVOS are made as a peformance car so when modding it, it costs that much more to upgrade the stock performance parts. Unlike a civic where its not really a perfomance car with performance parts. So any parts even tho cheap will still be an upgrade on a civic cuz ur not upgrading an already preformance part.
Feb 4, 2013, 07:53 PM
#57
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Bottom line: There are people that will spend the money on Quality parts for their Evo because they believe in the motto's "buy once, buy right" and "sometimes you do get what you pay for".
Then there are others regardless of why they arrive at the cheap solution (previously owned a car where anything was un upgrade or don;t have the money to buy the good stuff) and they figure as long as its advertised to be better then stock then it its all gravy (wheels, intercooler, turbo's, suspension).
I'm not gonna be ignorant enough to tell someone how to spend their money. What I will say is this is a car in the realm of the Supra, RX-7 etc (performance-wise). I don't know if those automotive realms deal with what seems like a phenomena of the car becoming cheaper and owners jumping in with both feet and then trying to skimp here and there. I have been looking for suspension for my wife's STi and I see the same conversations being had on those forums as well.
This too shall pass. Most times the cost of the modifications or maintenance will weed out the people just getting one expecting to apply the same short sightedness they had with other "cheaper" platforms" will move on to the next cheap thing (or go back to what they know) and will leave people dedicated to the platform still looking to make their car better the quality way.
Not knocking the people that choose to do things cheaply (Hey I rocked 3 sets of Rota's) but just because it fits and doesn't make your car explode doesn't mean its the same "QUALITY" as your ETS's and BR's and CBRD's etc.
If you can't afford it then either hold off until you can afford quality, or buy the ebay stuff. Either you won't have the car long enough for it to matter or eventually when you reach the "evolution" of your car (yes i know pun intended), you will look a the cheap intercooler you bought and upgrade.
This is not opinion......this is fact. Its plays out the same way on this board.....ALL THE TIME. This is history repeating itself. Same as this question always comes up. Same as the people chiming in who have been there and done that. Same as the people who have bought said eBay part and swear its as good as other quality parts.
/sermon
Sorry guys.
Then there are others regardless of why they arrive at the cheap solution (previously owned a car where anything was un upgrade or don;t have the money to buy the good stuff) and they figure as long as its advertised to be better then stock then it its all gravy (wheels, intercooler, turbo's, suspension).
I'm not gonna be ignorant enough to tell someone how to spend their money. What I will say is this is a car in the realm of the Supra, RX-7 etc (performance-wise). I don't know if those automotive realms deal with what seems like a phenomena of the car becoming cheaper and owners jumping in with both feet and then trying to skimp here and there. I have been looking for suspension for my wife's STi and I see the same conversations being had on those forums as well.
This too shall pass. Most times the cost of the modifications or maintenance will weed out the people just getting one expecting to apply the same short sightedness they had with other "cheaper" platforms" will move on to the next cheap thing (or go back to what they know) and will leave people dedicated to the platform still looking to make their car better the quality way.
Not knocking the people that choose to do things cheaply (Hey I rocked 3 sets of Rota's) but just because it fits and doesn't make your car explode doesn't mean its the same "QUALITY" as your ETS's and BR's and CBRD's etc.
If you can't afford it then either hold off until you can afford quality, or buy the ebay stuff. Either you won't have the car long enough for it to matter or eventually when you reach the "evolution" of your car (yes i know pun intended), you will look a the cheap intercooler you bought and upgrade.
This is not opinion......this is fact. Its plays out the same way on this board.....ALL THE TIME. This is history repeating itself. Same as this question always comes up. Same as the people chiming in who have been there and done that. Same as the people who have bought said eBay part and swear its as good as other quality parts.
/sermon
Sorry guys.
Feb 4, 2013, 08:16 PM
#58
its a VSRF. it actualy retails for way more then i paid for it.
The OBX one is a stright thru fin design and is LIGHT weight
The ebay cheap ones as stated have a stright thru fin pattern, the one in mine is a offset fin pattern. And also this isnt a cheap intercooler, its price is more around $400-475 now also it has a lifetime warrenty. Also im not cheap [if you couldnt tell from the Snap on tool box in my pic :0] I just buy the best deal Aval at the time, I read about it, read reviews and ive been using it for a year and guess what? it works even in summer no heat soak no knock. If it didnt work it would have been on its way back and i would have a different one in. Like the recent purchase i just made, i got a brand new quaife center diff for $500 bucks, NOT the 1k+ as retail would have it BUTTTTT since i paid less then half price for the quaife center diff im sure its Cheap and **** correct?
I dont cheap out on my evo, ive only had it for a year and im already 6k into it. Ive put more cash into it then miles ive put on it.
One could also Argue that you could order a PWR core and make your own for cheap too, and it would be great and cheap.[if you can Tig]
Also you guys dont think all these companys make thier own cores do you?
The OBX one is a stright thru fin design and is LIGHT weight
This intercooler looks nothing like the ets. It looks like the ebay one. ETS you cant see black holes like you can on yours. People you drive an EVO not a honda civic. Stop trying to go all cheap so when things go wrong its cause you didn't get proven parts but rather cheaply made parts. Now you got to go and redo everything and spend more money then if you would just buy the proven name brand stuff the first time.
I dont cheap out on my evo, ive only had it for a year and im already 6k into it. Ive put more cash into it then miles ive put on it.
One could also Argue that you could order a PWR core and make your own for cheap too, and it would be great and cheap.[if you can Tig]
Also you guys dont think all these companys make thier own cores do you?
Last edited by blowngasket; Feb 4, 2013 at 09:04 PM.
Feb 4, 2013, 09:15 PM
#60
Also what makes the 4" VRSF Cheap? Ive only read good things on it.
Last edited by blowngasket; Feb 4, 2013 at 09:33 PM.