Why don't we buy the ebay one for 100 bucks and weld on some 90s. it will be about 100 dollars cheaper than crazy steves.

 

Hahn Ftmfw

 

Hahn for butt rape service haha...dejon, clear image automotve are much more reasonably priced and just as good...I say this intercooler is pretty decent as well.

 

More power to you if you can tig weld aluminum. I cannot.

 

....the guy who posted that the intercooler is from China...they make the intercooler in house? what are u talking about?

 

does anyone have a stock intercooler for sale?..

 

they make the intercooler core in house ????????? Really are you serious

 

We have stock IC from the 08 we are parting out.

What I would like to know is how a 12" tall IC is being installed in place of a 7" tall IC. Considering the size of the Crazy Steve IC, it probably does perform fairly well, but I can't imagine how it could possible fit without removing the bumper support. From what I have seen, Hahn made their IC the largest they possibly could fit, and now someone is selling one several inches taller. It doesn't really add up.

Edit: I guess they might be able to slide it up behind the bumper support since it is thinner than the stock IC. The problem with this is that there is very little airflow across the core where it tucked behind the bumper support. In this regard, I would prefer a thicker IC that is fully mounter under the bumper support. I doubt that any of the upgraded air/air ICs on the market will compete with the Hahn unit for performance. It's too bad it's $750.

 

I'm thinking maybe that Crazy Steves IC was meant for the HHR SS. I supposed there is room for his IC in that. I remember when I was installing my meth kit and some other secrets, I had my bumper off and notice that you couldn't even go much bigger that it already is.

 

I'm trying to find out more info about the IC cores, Steve hasn't replied back to me yet. Those that are claiming the cores are Chinese eBay units, have no facts whether that's true or not. It does sound like he's buying cores and adding the end caps and hose fittings, but we don't know the core source if that's the case. As soon as he responds back to me, I'll post the info.

I do know these ICs were originally designed for the HHR SS, because Crazy Steve indeed has a HHR. But, they have also been installed on several Cobalt SS/TC cars too.

It's quite simple really, if you don't feel comfortable getting this IC, then don't. The OP just posted about it to give people a low cost alternative.

By the way, Steve's HHR ran a 13.12 (see link).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfNaDovMkz0

 

Hell yeah that HHR is sick!!!

 

Yes this thread is just for people to see what is out there....i am sure many were not even aware that this was out.

If only we can get steve on here to talk about it.

 

i dont know about that, hahn is a pretty good company dude. Clear Image, i hate to say it even though you are one of the clear image sig boys, their stuff looks cheaper than hahns.

 

Clearimage's charge piping performs better and is easier to install for a lot less money too. My only problem with Hahn is their products are a little overpriced. Their intercooler should realistically be about $550 not $750 and their charge piping should be around $350 not $550

 

Guys and the sad thing is you know that it is true you just dont want to admit that those prices are overpriced...

WE all know that HAHN make excellent parts....thts established.....but its expensive.

also can we elaborate how CIA parts look "cheap"

 

Charge piping, performs better? These cars don't have a GT40R from the factory. Buy a set if you want to increase reliability (if properly designed and supported so they don't place stress on the intercooler inlet) or as an appearance item, but I wouldn't expect to see gains larger a than dyno variance.

On the intercoolers, one thing to stress before everyone hits on "cheap" ones and praises "quality" (i.e. read $$$) intercoolers, very few cores are made in the US. Even Garrett and some of the other corporations that produce the cores manufacture many of them overseas. I'm sure some come from mainland China now, but a lot also come from other Asian countries and places like Taiwan. Hahn like every other smaller automotive aftermarket company does not make their own cores but instead buys the cores from somewhere else. A big part of what you're paying for is the end tank design/fabrication/welding, the brackets, clamps, packaging/shipping, warranty and customer support.

If a $200 intercooler and a $500 intercooler from different companies started using the same core, they might perform very similar with small variances due to end tank design. But one might not be pressure tested and warranted as well as the other. You also might have two different cores used on each but both are "rated" the same flow and pressure drop numbers by the core manufacturer. This introduces another range of problems for the consumer.

An intercooler core has internal fins inside the tubes (tube and fin) or in the cavity formed by the flat bar and side plate construction (bar and plate), and the fin thickness, fin count per inch, brazing quality (for thermal conductivity), etc. all affect flow characteristics. The dimensions, core thickness, external fin design/count also play a role in cooling capacity and can be different across cores. Many of the off-brand cores which may otherwise work perfectly fine and have decent construction may not flow exactly what they're rated for and many times are overrated. Or they are rated for the originating core size which is then cut down by the core producer or intercooler maker (e.g. having one 24 x 24 x 3 inch core cut down to make to 24 x 12 x 3" cores) and isn't tested for the final core dimension but instead is calculated (such as the last example where they state it is half the size so it flow half the amount, which may not be the case).

Even if the intercooler maker gives you flow characteristics they may not be accurate due to the core maker providing them inaccurate information. Or one company making/selling the intercooler rates by just the core and another by their tests of the completed assembly. There's lots of variables and even if you knew exactly which core and where it is coming from (which many intercooler assemblers will not disclose), you really can't compare different brands until you have both testing under the exact same conditions and/or cars.

There's always going to be rules and exceptions to the rules, so I'll give a real world example. PosiTech International which is a US-based core and heat exchanger producer has an aftermarket automotive intercooler division (AIS) that started producing custom front-mount intercoolers for the Neon SRT-4's quite a few years ago. They were selling them direct in quite a few group buys for $250 shipped and are a great performing intercooler. Within a couple years they were also supplying intercoolers to some of the company/vendors catering to the SRT-4 market. A number of these were being sold in the $400-500 range. Same cores, same construction, different seller and different price.

You can't make those blanket statements about products unless you know all the facts about what you're talking about. I don't know everything about the Hahn intercooler, the Crazy Steve intercooler, or the eBay intercoolers, and neither does anyone else here. Therefore I can't say what will perform better and if one is inferior, "close enough", or better than the other. Like I already said, you're also buying more than how the intercooler flows and cools. Just keep that in mind and realize that without some extensive testing under a controlled method you shouldn't say one is always better than another. If you can't test on your own you may have to place faith in who you're buying it from, but even that isn't always definitive.

 

I just got off the phone with a rep. from CrazySteve Shop.

I was pleased from what he told me about the intercooler but i was not able to go into detail about everything. I was at a basketball game atm.

What i did like to hear he does have a HHR and has been running the intercooler on his car for 10k miles and has had no problems with it. They are currently looking for a car to test the intercooler out on. Cobalt ss/tc to make sure it fits correctly.

They make all of their intercoolers just like everyone else does. They just dont have the 90' end tanks.

He sold me. They have been making turbo parts for 10+ years now and they are venturing off to the GM products now.

Also. The same intercooler that they have been making for the saabs are the same that they are bringing to the cobalt/hhr now. for only 250.

 

They physically make each and every core in house? There's a difference between buying a bare core and adding end tanks to it, and actually having a facility that builds the core from the ground up. No other vendor that i know makes any cores, they buy them from bell/garrett/spearco/china and fab up the end tanks and sell them. Just looking at their contact info shows that its a small shop, no way they build their own cores, they make them as in assemble and weld them, thats it.

 

thats what i mean...just like everyone else ^^

 

[QUOTE=blackbird;3545019]Charge piping, performs better? These cars don't have a GT40R from the factory.


Before you laugh at my comment the factory hot pipe flows 300 CFM. It is just as restrictive as the factory DP. Clearimage's hotpipe flows 480 CFM and is 10" shorter and nearly 2 cubic feet less volume for the turbo to fill. That will most definately reduce the time necessary for the turbo to spool up and the extra flow well: It made 6 whp more than another brands and the factory hotpipe. Dan has the dyno sheets to prove it.

 

first off mods...not trying to sale anything just was asked to give some info...

Of-course we do not make our own cores...I dont believe any IC maker does. we buy our cores and weld up the IC's here.

I work for the shop and wanted an IC and did not want to spend 700$ Im a cheap ass so I made my own and it work. We are the Largest Saab tuner shop in the US and that is what we do, we are known all around the world, ask any Saab person about us.

Every one has there own opinion of what is best that why we are lucky to be here in the great USA so buy what you like. We have not got a chance to install one on a Balt yet to check fit for a 100% but everything looks the same did not have too remove anything for fitment

PICs on the HHR

 

where do you get your cores from? do you guys offer warrenty?

 

hahn is still FTMFW

 

Top notch quality, but i still believe they are overpriced on their intercooler and chargepiping.

 

true but who cares quality always costs