I recently crashed my RA and I need a new intercooler. Since I'm happy with the amount of power the car already has and I'm strapped for cash, I'm looking for the cheapest replacement that's not a downgrade.
The obvious option would be to find a used one but the only one I could find on Ebay looks a bit mangled and I couldn't find anything else, not least in Europe.
The next most obvious option would be a new OEM part, but those seem to be about as if not more expensive that some of the upgrades. And if it'll cost the same, I would assume it'd make sense to go for an upgrade.
The next option that came to mind was to get a used Evo X IC. Those seem to actually be available but it seems like the installation is a bit of a hassle.

What's the best option? Like I said, all I want is something that isn't a downgrade. After that, cost is paramount.

 

The cheapest, albeit not always the easiest, is to find a used oem unit from another ralliart, one that's being parted or one that's wrecked preferably from the rear.. I would personally never buy an BNIB OEM unit, that is likely the most expensive.

Also, folks over here in the states have had good luck with Depo units, maybe you could find one of theirs for cheap.