Hey guys and gals, I'm currently in the market for a WRX. I looked at a red one today at Santa Cruz Subaru. However, one thing concerns me. The intercooler was pretty dinged up and even had 5-10 small pebbles sitting on it. Is this a major issue? Will it affect performance? And is there something you can do to prevent things like this from happening? If this is a repost, sorry, I'm new. Please redirect me to the appropriate thread.

 

I wouldn't think it would impact performance, but I went to Home Depot and purchased a roll of aluminum screening. I cut out a piece a little bigger than the intercooler surface and pushed it in the best that I could. This allowed the screening to "bubble up" to absorb any impact from incoming debris. It also works good to keep leafs out of the intercooler. Most of the items that go into the scoop get stuck in the lip I leave on the front side of the car. I usually change it every few months, just to keep a clean one in there. Can't really see the screening unless you really look. Just one prson's view, but it seems to be working for me. 02 WRX 38500 miles, no dings or dents in intercooler.