Stock FMIC vs Direct Fit Intercooler (pics inside)

Ressurecting an old thread once again.

I bit the bullet and bought a used AGP direct fit intercooler. I believe this is the best one you can get.
Goes for $550 plus shipping on their site:
http://www.agpturbo.com/product.php?productid=16133&cat=271&page=1

I got mine for $250 shipped. He said its in like new condition. There are like 2 bent fins that he is going to fix. I had some money in my PayPal from selling some things so it brought the price down to $186.

A friend of mine who also has a SRT-4 with the AGP direct fit. I have seen it in person, and man, 4.5'' core. Looks really good. I went to watch his car get dynod and after the 5 dyno pulls I felt his endtanks, and man. His hotside almost burned my hand, while the coldside was cool. 13HP and 15FT/LBS from the AGP direct fit is what he gained. But he has the boost raised off computer controlled, AGP WGA and a electronic boost controller. The power curve was a ton smoother.
Plus you get to keep the stock crash bar.

The stock crash bar is a big thing to me. Getting rid of it alters handling dramatically what I have read on forums. That needs to be done with the cool looking BFMIC. I know they offer aftermarket crash bars, but thats a ton of $$$. There are also photos of SRT-4's that got hit in the front around the same speed. Ones with aftermarket intercoolers and ones with the stock or direct fit intercoolers. Put it this way, the big ones without the crash bar got messed up pretty bad.

I will dyno my car on stock boost levels with this intercooler since NO ONE has done so. I haven't added any mods since my last dyno run so there will be a straight up comparison. I will try to do it on a day with the same temperature outside and will do a boost leak test beforehand and get all of them fixed. No gains, some gains, loss of power. I do not care what the outcome is. This won't happen until early spring though because I do not want to put it on before winter hits. (Midwest winters suck)