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Had exactly the same with an STI 5 intercooler - described as near perfect in the ad and turned out to be a bit of a mess! I spent about 2 hours straightening out the fins and the best method I found was a cocktail stick (it takes a while and is really boring but it is worth it and it has made the intercooler look a lot better) I also spent a few hours on it with wet and dry and a dremel type drill with wire brush bits and removed all of the paint as it was flaking - looks much better now!