CVF Street Intercooler (2013-2018 Ford Focus ST)

I cross shopped the FSP and Depo because of the similar pricing and volume of the intercooler (I was concerned about pressure drop). The FSP looked promising, but it was out of stock, and they didn’t know how long it would be until it came back in stock. While researching the Depo and CVF, I found that Depo is very popular, but there were some quality concerns I had. You have to assemble the mounting hardware yourself, some received the intercooler dented, and many mentioned having to drill out the screw hole for the MAP sensor screw or else it won’t fit in. The CVF was dead simple and fit right into the OEM mounting hardware. The “T-bolt” style hose clamps were also great to be included, and I would’ve chosen to purchase them separately if they hadn’t come in the box, so that was a value add for me. The intercooler itself and the packaging seemed to be very high quality, and it arrived completely undamaged. I also like the depth of the cooler, which brings the front of the intercooler closer to the front grill and is more visible. It seems to perform very well, and it feels like I gained some power on the stock tune, especially on a long pull, or repeated “spirited” driving. When I get my tune, I’m sure it’ll keep my temps under control given its massive size compared to stock. Very happy with my purchase.

The build quality on this FMIC truly exceeded my expectations. From the packaging, to the unboxing, this IC is absolutely stunning. I did however notice a couple minor imperfections slight damage on the fins and on the top side of the IC, just small blemishes nothing out of this world. (See photos) Could’ve been from transport. Oh well.

Installation was fairly simple, I’ve never installed one before but I’m YouTube mechanic certified and made this process easy. I had some issues with the MAP sensor, seems like the O-ring is just a tad thicker than the hole but you gotta just wiggle and push with all your might and it’ll slip right in. CVFab was kind enough to supply all the necessary hardware as well. I really appreciated that.

Performance wise it definitely does its job in keeping temps down. It’s getting warmer down here in SoCal high 80’s mid 90’s and yet even on back to back pulls it doesn’t go up too far from ambient. So overall my experience so far has been great. I will continue to support CVFab and their awesome products. Thank you everyone at CVFab.

The fit and finish on this intercooler is excellent, just installed it on my '16 ST and it fit perfectly. Does it's job well at keeping charge temps down.

Mine did have some damage on the bottom, but the core itself is ok, so I installed it anyways (I'm not too picky about something minor like that). You don't really notice it when it's behind the bumper at all. The packaging in the box was great as well.