Cheapest non rubbish intercooler

[bobby_fodge]

I'm looking to upgrade my intercooler. I know the s3 one is a common upgrade for about £300. Is there any cheaper ones which will be better than the oe one I've currently got Fitted?

There are loads on eBay but I wouldn't be confident of their quality without a recommendation.

[colesey]

How about a used S3 one for @£100?

[Dave Y]

How about a used S3 one for @£100?

yes please

[pandaman]

I recently fitted the genuine S3 intercooler and for price vs quality the S3 one cant be beat unless you go ebay like you said. Plenty of people have ebay ones or you could try the Darkside development one which i believe is just an ebay intercooler with a logo slapped on.

For peace of mind and reassurance the S3 is the way to go. Good for up to 300 bhp and only 100 quid more than an ebay one. And thats new, like colesey said you could go used.

[MIJ_JAGGER]

I’ve an S3 alloy intercooler I got last year, STILL awaiting fitment
Probably end up selling it because of lack of time to install knowing my luck

[bobby_fodge]

I’ve an S3 alloy intercooler I got last year, STILL awaiting fitment
Probably end up selling it because of lack of time to install knowing my luck

dibs

[MIJ_JAGGER]

What about the coilovers you messaged me about?
I did reply, twice.

[bobby_fodge]

What about the coilovers you messaged me about?
I did reply, twice.

yep, sorry about that, I should have come back to you about those.

[muff1991]

How about a used S3 one for @£100?

@colesey is this the rough going rate of a used S3 intercooler?

[colesey]

yeah @100 for the plastic ended one but more for the alloy one. There was a thread from The Bruce about a conversation he had with a VW engineer about the plastic one flowing better which makes sense given how easily plastic can be moulded.

[muff1991]

so the plastic end tank design is the one to go for then?

[bobby_fodge]

Nissens do one for £200 which has the part #1K0.145.803 P, which is the same as the S3 part.

What are Nissens like quality wise?

[colesey]

As a warning to others, I ordered a pattern intercooler with the correct part number from Autodoc in Germany however the actual item delivered was only 32mm thick. I got an RMA to return it, however the courier companies were all quoting @£80 due to the huge size of their shipping box.  In the end, I cut the box open and wrapped the cardboard around the inner box to get the dimensions down to the £20 bracket. Finally, there was a little song and dance from Autodoc to get a refund rather than an account credit......

In the end, I picked up a used plastic S3 cooler from a guy near me who was listing on ebay. Was £80 including hoses, which was a bit cheaper than most I have seen. Is still waiting to be fitted but that's another story!

[Dogma]

You pay for what you get in life! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pudding]

Genuine alloy - https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/european-s3-intercooler/1k0145803p/

Genuine plastic - https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/cooler/3c0145805am/

If the images are high res enough, use them as a basis for comparison to the cheaper ones.

Personally I would not use a s/hand intercooler unless it's been thoroughly cleaned out and pressure tested.  You never know if it's full of shrapnel from a blown turbo or other junk.

If there is any doubt, there is no doubt, so just buy a genuine one.  Without wanting to sound like your Dad, if you can't afford to do it properly, don't do it at all.