The CVF intercooler is a Chinese copy of a US design and it costs too much for such forgery. I hate that.
HOWEVER, if it was only say $150 which is much more than the cost of the components welded together, then hell, I would buy one too. The problem is in the economics and international trade rules in the US. If the US Trade Commission would restrict and/or tax the shit out of Chinese knock-offs, then they wouldn't be so attractive to buy.
I bought a stainless steel downpipe for a previous turbo car from ATP for $650 and moved on. When I was doing some other upgrades I saw a Chinese copy for only $125! It was so cheap I bought it just to inspect it and pass on the info. It was literally a perfect copy with zero defects. It was still on the car when I sold it years later. I also sold the used ATP pipe for $300, so it was still worth more used than the china copy.
If we(enthusiasts) are looking to save money IF POSSIBLE, then purchasing Chinese knockoffs is a go-to. It isn't unpatriotic, it's economics. I would rather have the USA-built product, BUT it doesn't make sense to throw away your toy-purchasing money if you don't NEED to, especially if the budget is pretty tight.
My budget is much more "loose" now than in my younger days, so I can buy pretty much whatever I want, so the Mishimoto was/is the top dog IMO. The Cobb will certainly be as good, or likely better if you like the look of well-engineered greatness.
