Cheap Ebay Intercoolers vs High dollar ones?

[JarrodZerg]

Hello all I bit of a newb but what are the differences of the nice high dollar intercooler kits like the HKS, Greddy ones vs a cheapy ebay kit like this one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

[nwmrkt]

i have the same question...am also looking at the greddy vspl kit.

[adrianfromthecastle]

people in the industry will tell you that brand name fmic are 100% better because they are backed up with thousands of dollared R & D...

imo... ebay ones are fine for me... esp cuz my pockets are short

[CoupedUp]

Ebay intercoolers are hit and miss...

If it has a bad core design it could cause the charge that enters the intercooler to travel too fast and bring your IATs up VERY fast because it isnt cooling too much.

Name brand intercoolers are better, if you look at the core designs as compared to over 90% of Ebay ones you will see a significant difference.

If youre on a budget but dont want to get a said "bad core" then I'd go with a Megan Racing FMIC. Ive seen plenty on friends cars and they work great and the price is definately decent. Find a Group Buy for Megan stuff or find a shop with a Wholesale account through them.

Now, Ebay piping can be very thin and when tightening T-Bolts crush the aluminum piping. If you want a SOLID good kit, Id reccomend buying the name brands, doing your own from a Mandrel Bent Piping shop and cutting and welding them OR you can do what I did buy the Project Silvia piping which is of GREAT quality and is VERY good in price. Then buy Couplers and T-Bolts at ATPturbo.com.

[nismofly]

an ebay kit that ive heard a number of people like is the hybrid, its got a ginourmous core too

if youre going to get your own piping made or buy a kit you might as well buy a real nice core, like you can get precision turbo cores from AMS or something

[nwmrkt]

what do you guys think of the greddy vspl? What is it rated too? Any other similar ones reccommended? I heard that the pressure drop is better in the brand name ones as opposed to the "ebay" ones...meaning less lag?

[Onizuka]

Some of the big names are responding to cheap intercoolers on the market, greddy has a new kit thats cheaper than the VSPL called the spec M thats out now.

[IanS]

I love my VSPL

[CoupedUp]

what do you guys think of the greddy vspl? What is it rated too? Any other similar ones reccommended? I heard that the pressure drop is better in the brand name ones as opposed to the "ebay" ones...meaning less lag?

It all comes down to core design, ARC being the ultimate in Core Design and all your HKS, Greddy and such will be practically equivalent.

Pressure drop, lower is better and i suppose would mean less lag but i think the Compressor is flowing enough CFM that really it wont even be noticeable unless the core is super restrictive and Butt Secks.

[itsnever2fast]

that one on ebay is fine, i have one on my car and my charge temps are very low, and i have almost no boost drop at 14 psi. best bang for the buck.

[CoupedUp]

You forgot...Results may vary.

[doridori23]

The best non-name brand intercooler you can buy is a Godspeed Intercooler. They have two trims 2.5" piping/core for up to 500hp and 3" piping/core for up to 700hp. I have personally installed about 5 of each design and not one has ever blown, cracked, leaked etc, etc. It is a good bar and plate design for max flow and pretty good cooling factor. They run about 250-300 on Ebay and I would recomend them to anyone. What happens when your GReddy takes a rock, stick, small furry animal, etc to the face? Spend 750-1000 on a new core OR 250 on a core that flows more air with an equal pressure drop and the same cooling factor? Sure they do not com polished to a mirror shine and most now come painted black (no the paint does not effect cooling ask APS).

I would not buy the random joe intercooler kits however. Right out of the box we have seen some with several pinhole leaks, poor welds (think no penetration), and assinine end tanks (massive pressure drop).

[nwmrkt]

I love my VSPL

what is it power rated too?

[Geno750]

The biggest difference is bar plate vs tube fin style designs. Just about all of the big ebay intercoolers are bar and plate and are heavy as hell. The name brand ones are efficient tube fin coolers that do the same job while weighing a lot less.

[JarrodZerg]

Thanks for all the feed back guys.

[NewNismo]

Good info!

[nwmrkt]

anyone know how much power the greddy vspl kit is rated to?

[GTS4-R]

I have a GReddy R-spec (big $$) on my t3/t4 sr and a godspeed on my drift t25 sr. The godspeed is actually very nice....thick, nice welds, and polished.....I cant knock my greddy tho....

[GTS4-R]

oh btw....Cheap ebay= ChinaExpensive name-brand=Japan

Buying a knockoff/cheapie off ebay is like shopping at wal-mart..... trust me we all do it sometimes

[BobAfrEak]

wow

oh btw....Cheap ebay= ChinaExpensive name-brand=Japan

Buying a knockoff/cheapie off ebay is like shopping at wal-mart..... trust me we all do it sometimes

wow i resent that i purchased plenty of "china" goods never had a problem it just depends on what it is. with a intercooler i say there no big difference. A company i know of that sells good things called god speed project. they are also known as Fatboy garage. there fmic go for 250.99 and back it up with a warranty as well. Its like a replica of the greddy fmic EXACT! Alot of guys in the socal area use it. They also sayy a complete catback as well. http://www.godspeedproject.com they are also on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...QrdZ1
Modified by BobAfrEak at 1:09 PM 6/26/2007

[Onizuka]

He's just saying that quite literally the cheap ebay intercoolers are manufactured in China, which is true. And its also true you take a larger quality risk by going the inexpensive route. Look in the news for the huge recalls just in the last month of toothpaste, pet food and car tires manufactured in china. No harm in being objective.

Personally, im putting my SR back in the coupe and buying a cheap E-bay intercooler to run it on. I had a vspl before but right now its not worth it to me to spend the extra money.

[GTS4-R]

well u wont catch me buying cheap chinese ebay GT35R "SYTLE" turbos for $350 bucks or anything but when it comes to an FMIC or radiator....ill def buy the chinese knock off....right after i boiught my GReddy Intake manifold when it 1st came out years ago for $500 one week later they were on ebay (knock-offs) for $250 or less....i was kicking my self in the *** it was the SAME EXACT THING....it even had a notch in it for the greddy logo irts like they got their mold....u know i woulda bought that instead it onluj makes sense....nowadays their on ebay POLISHED for like 100 bux.....jeez

[GTS4-R]

I have a GReddy R-spec (big $$) on my t3/t4 sr and a godspeed on my drift t25 sr. The godspeed is actually very nice....thick, nice welds, and polished.....I cant knock my greddy tho....

also see what iu said there? i have the godspeed on my drift car and actually praised it....u read me wrong homey

[BobAfrEak]

I myself plan on using the godspeed fmic on my blacktop.

[BobAfrEak]

also see what iu said there? i have the godspeed on my drift car and actually praised it....u read me wrong homey

also see what iu said there? i have the godspeed on my drift car and actually praised it....u read me wrong homey

lost. are you quoting yourslef i think you got your own self wrong "homey" only thing i had in contest to it was the fact how you mentioned some were bad. that was all.

btw nice setup.Ive been reading good on these precision turbos.you dj? what do you play?

[GTS4-R]

show me where i said they were bad and ill give you $100.... i never did..... I spin Trance and house.... for 7-8years now

[GTS4-R]

oh btw thanks.... and this is a few examples of producers i like to spin their stuff

ATB, BT, Ferry Corsten, Matt Darey, Darude, Paul Oakenfold, George Acosta, Tiesto, Blank & Jones, Paul Van Dyk, 4 Strings, DJ Dan etc etc..... i like hard progressive trance with chick vocals mostly

[BobAfrEak]

oh btw thanks.... and this is a few examples of producers i like to spin their stuff

ATB, BT, Ferry Corsten, Matt Darey, Darude, Paul Oakenfold, George Acosta, Tiesto, Blank & Jones, Paul Van Dyk, 4 Strings, DJ Dan etc etc..... i like hard progressive trance with chick vocals mostly

oh btw thanks.... and this is a few examples of producers i like to spin their stuff

ATB, BT, Ferry Corsten, Matt Darey, Darude, Paul Oakenfold, George Acosta, Tiesto, Blank & Jones, Paul Van Dyk, 4 Strings, DJ Dan etc etc..... i like hard progressive trance with chick vocals mostly

hmm progrssive vocal stuff. nice i used to play progressive trance. i like it alot especially listening to it at clubs. but your arsenal of artist really really good. i say my top artist i play or listen to are armin van buuren, tiesto, matt darey and eddie halliwell. but paul van dyk......That guy is amazing. ferry corsten good as well both frequent artist who come to la alot. paul van dyk will be here soon with his tour along with corsten as well. Tiesto will be in august so there will be tons of massives around the socal area. Now that i think of it blank and jones released some us dates and oakenfold is playing at edc along with christopher lawrence if i recall. I like alot of hard trance and nrg the lables i usually play or tidy, old tinrib stuff, jelly baby, alot of system f aka ferry corsten theres this single he came out with called "spaceman" the matti laamanen mix. D.l. it if you dont have it definately a crowd pleaser or the sweet escape by armin van buuren. i can go on and on. I play ever now and then but now im just a listner. but i still have my setup 1200mk2 the behringer djx700, and my mdrv700. sighhh the days... i still got my vinyll though some classics like gouryella, alice deejay, and atb's dont stop and what not. I better stop or ill go on.

[xdabsx]

buy a name brand one.if u want a ebay one contact me and ill sell u mine.

[GTS4-R]

Im still using my Stanton str8-60's straight arms from 8 years ago....im hooked on em and never felt like dropping the money for some 1200 m3d's but i am running a Pioneer DJM-500....that was a good investment i love that thing. I started spinning tidy trax when i started and other energy stuff just to get used to matching beats than I started with what i truely loved in the clubs TRANCE and i didnt look back from there..... I like hard trance also at clubs but i dont have too much vinyl....like space girl, christopher lawrence, Sandra collins, timo maas....u know..... i could make a list of my fav dj's but it would take all day....id say matt darey ATB, and PVD are amoung my top....i love house too.... dj dan of course, feelgood, armand van helden, rythem masters, daft punk