[boatshoes]

Slightly used Wagner FMIC for $500 or new VRSF for $430?

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

If you want to wait until the end of September then get the VRSF because that's when they will be back in stock...

[boatshoes]

In the hypothetical event that VRSF was available today at $430, which is a better bang for buck FMIC?

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by boatshoes

In the hypothetical event that VRSF was available today at $430, which is a better bang for buck FMIC?

Most people will respond based on brand loyalty or just the opinion of what they run because what they have is the best and they want to make themselves feel better.

My unbiased response. The difference is negligble and the price difference is marginal.

Depending on the actual condition of the wagner I would steer towards that as it is stepped and easier to install then a 7" VRSF. I'm not a fan of used intercoolers cause they are usually damaged in some fashion or another. Either through rock chips and bent fins or just overall wear and tear. You also run the risk of buying an intercooler that is cracked and leaking and you would never know until you use it or have it pressure tested.

[boatshoes]

Cool, thanks for the unbiased opinion. Not trying to start a flame war. Ease of installation it is and it was only used for 1k miles, so I think the damage is minimal.

[OpenFlash]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

Most people will respond based on brand loyalty or just the opinion of what they run because what they have is the best and they want to make themselves feel better.

My unbiased response. The difference is negligble and the price difference is marginal.

Depending on the actual condition of the wagner I would steer towards that as it is stepped and easier to install then a 7" VRSF. I'm not a fan of used intercoolers cause they are usually damaged in some fashion or another. Either through rock chips and bent fins or just overall wear and tear. You also run the risk of buying an intercooler that is cracked and leaking and you would never know until you use it or have it pressure tested.

Good advice as always Jeff.

[LQQKOUT]

You can get the GODSPEED BMW 335I FRONT MOUNT INTERCOOLER on *-Bay for $344 and it fit and works good in my car. Dropped .2 in the 1/4 with it. Also there some other smaller models made for our cars for $299.

[SuperBmw]

I would go with the Wagner any day of the week.

[DanielGonz]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

Most people will respond based on brand loyalty or just the opinion of what they run because what they have is the best and they want to make themselves feel better.

My unbiased response. The difference is negligble and the price difference is marginal.

Depending on the actual condition of the wagner I would steer towards that as it is stepped and easier to install then a 7" VRSF. I'm not a fan of used intercoolers cause they are usually damaged in some fashion or another. Either through rock chips and bent fins or just overall wear and tear. You also run the risk of buying an intercooler that is cracked and leaking and you would never know until you use it or have it pressure tested.

[boatshoes]

Pulled the trigger on the Wagner, thanks for all of the advice.

[getInline]

I'm very happy with my Wagner.

[Stucks]

I recently switched from a fmic similar to the vrsf to a fmic similar to the wagner (stepped core design) I noticed cooler iats, and the car seemed to run a little bit happier! wgdc did increase ever so slightly, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

[Tiago@VRSF]

Wagner makes a pretty good intercooler, I really like the stepped core but I really dislike the 2" neck down on the OEM connectors. We used to sell a variant that included the OEM connectors and there's quite a bit more backpressure when you have piping that goes from 2.5" to 2" to almost 3". The tube & fin design is also a bit of a let down.

If I were to get a stepped core over our intercooler, I'd consider the Helix since they remove the restriction at the inlet/outlet and use a high density bar and plate core similar to ours.

[Deep_Blue]

I got the VRSF 7" a couple months back and have been very happy with it. Install isnt that bad if you 1) know how to remove your bumper 2) have a decent set of jack stands or rhino ramps 3) have a dremmel tool and dont mind using it.

[pwilde]

a front mount is all about volume and surface area if they are comparable then the cheaper is better quality has a very minimal effect on something such as this with no moving parts. also if you are running meth then this is rather irrelevant all together because the cooling effects of methanol (what a FMIC primary job is) are so much more beneficial then this and a meth kit is only about 1,000 with charge... much better deal more fueling and more power.

[Be Awesome 335i]

Originally Posted by Jeff@TopGearSolutions

If you want to wait until the end of September then get the VRSF because that's when they will be back in stock...

Originally Posted by Tiago@VRSF

Wagner makes a pretty good intercooler, I really like the stepped core but I really dislike the 2" neck down on the OEM connectors. We used to sell a variant that included the OEM connectors and there's quite a bit more backpressure when you have piping that goes from 2.5" to 2" to almost 3". The tube & fin design is also a bit of a let down.

If I were to get a stepped core over our intercooler, I'd consider the Helix since they remove the restriction at the inlet/outlet and use a high density bar and plate core similar to ours.

So are the VRSF 7" FMIC's w/ lower charge pipe on B/O till late September?

[Tiago@VRSF]

Yes sir, 5" and 7" units arrive at the same time.