New AEM Intakes?

mcspooney · 10-01-2017, 03:18 PM

I took the liberty of ordering these:

https://www.z1motorsports.com/air-in...t-p-11697.html

I ordered them thru Z1 motorsports (because I love them and always get my parts from them). Ordered them August 31st and just got them yesterday, Sept 30th. They were drop shipped, so I think AEM is backed up on making these? I really think they are new, because I haven't seen a review on these ever.

Please note. I have NEVER bought an aftermarket intake, so take some of my review with a grain of salt. I may have high expectations.

I just got them yesterday and installed them this morning.

Just got back from a test drive. Here are my thoughts:
1. For some reason, everywhere, even on the documentation that came with the AEM it says "mandrel-bent, aluminum tubing", but Z1 has also listed that its "rotomolded plastic aluminum tubing. It is definitely the latter. I think someone copy and pasted descriptions.
2. I was VERY skeptical at first, because the diameters of these tubes... are not that huge, especially where it mates with the filter. But they hand you a dyno graph with the instructions... so I YOLO'ed this puppy right on there.
3. Heat shields are really nice quality.
4. Buuuutt... you have to assemble the edge seals onto the heat shields when you get them. That includes cutting them to size. AEM just gives you a ~3 foot length of edge seal. I used all but about 4" of it. I was not bothered by this... but I think it should have come assembled. Maybe this is how they hit that 350$ mark.
5. There are little gaps in the heat shield. So I'm concerned that when I go to the track, this thing will be sucking in heat-soaked air. We shall see.
6. Fitment is pretty good, I would say 7.5 out of 10. There's a spot where they don't mention, where the edge seal kind of pinches down on the passenger headlight wiring harness. I wasn't fond of that. It takes some careful "maneuvering" (as they put it in the install manual) to get that sucker in there. I also had to pull out this part of the wiring harness on the driver's side... they didn't note it in the manual. I'm being rough here though. Instructions were pretty good.

Impressions:
1. Starting the car and just driving up to the highway... I didn't notice a noise difference at all. I was letting the car warm up too, so I kept it below 4k RPM.
2. Hop on the highway and... the sound is a little subtle. I like the noise though. Its a rougher, poppier sound. I am probably not good at describing it, but I like it alot. Higher in the rev range, definitely much more noticable, much more enjoyable.
3. Power felt up, just a little. I believe 15 hp is right. Its got more power all around, especially near the top.

I bought this intake for a few reasons:
1. Its pretty cheap. 350$ seems about as cheap as 370z intakes come...
2. Claimed power gain is on par with the better intakes.
3. No need to service through the front bumper. I take my front bumper off fairly regularly, so I'm not squeamish when it comes to taking it off. I just don't want to increase my need to pull it off.
4. It looks pretty nice. Very clean once installed. Looks at home in the engine bay.
5. I hate oil filters. This has a dry filter. Had K&N filters from a previous owner back in the day on one of my 240sx's. Oiling those was retarded. I probably over oiled it, because under oiling it seemed dangerous. Then that oil ended up all over the inside of my intake. Just not a fan.

Anyway. If you guys are interested, I guess I could take some video. Just thought I would give the world some info on this puppy.

nightZ_driver · 10-02-2017, 01:46 PM

I think I will get them too, I like how they look!! Can you upload some pictures and a video? 😜😜😜 Thanks for the review, it was helpful for me!

l2iceman · 10-05-2017, 02:05 PM

Thx for the review - I've been waiting for Z1 to have a Black Friday sales, read about others getting their CAI for $380, but this AEM one popped up on my radar.

I haven't heard a VHR engine in person with a CAI, but if this matches the "sound" level of true CAI, and performance is close/on par, I'd probably spring for this due to not having to remove my bumper.

Ventruck · 10-05-2017, 08:24 PM

Love how the heat shields look, but kinda scratching my head on how it ultimately compares to the Stillen G2. That's pricer, but CARB legal and probably has better construction.

But then I'm not clear of diameters between the two, so....*shrug*. But cool to see another option on the market.

370zBoyz · 10-06-2017, 07:14 AM

I still feel like the stock air intakes are better than these short cold air intakes unless you go with the long tubes leading to the bumper cold air intakes

Nixin · 10-06-2017, 08:09 AM

Spend your $ on a long tube CAI or stay with the stock air boxes and drop in K&N filters and silicone tubes. If you even do a bit of searching and reading on this forum, you will note that the short tube intakes are worthless.

mcspooney · 10-07-2017, 12:59 PM

I'm going to post up video and images soon.

But let me say these are definitely not worthless. Definitely way better than stock intakes. Power is definitely up, sound is up at WOT. After driving these for a week, I'm sold. At $380, its a good deal. Love this intake.

I do wish I could compare to Stillen Gen 3s tho. I can't imagine that you would have MUCH more power out of the Gen 3s though. If you are in the bay area and want to do a comparison, by all means, lets do a comparison!

As far as Stillen Gen 2... these have dry filters which to me is a plus. Also, AEM actually published dyno numbers, which to me is a bit of crapshoot, but a little comforting on the purchase. Also... gen 2's are >500$, no?

I should have gotten some video and images of the tubes before putting them on. The tubes are plastic, but very good quality. Airboxes are also very good quality.

mcspooney · 10-07-2017, 01:02 PM

Oh. A little more detail on the power via butt dyno:
More torque everywhere. Very noticeable.
Top end feels great, doesn't taper off as much as before.

My big concern now is how do these fare when it comes to tuning? Maybe I wont get as much gain when I finally tune.

nightZ_driver · 10-07-2017, 07:08 PM

I want to see the intake in your car!

RanRich · 01-21-2018, 10:06 PM

OP (or anyone else) any updates or pictures? I’ve been really missing the noise and response my intakes and would love to pick these up - heatshieds wrapped in heat reflective tape of course.

johnnydrama · 02-05-2018, 10:43 AM

I just installed these on my car last week. I chose this unit for the following reasons:

-It looks nice and clean
-The price
-Ease of installation (I installed Stillen G3s on my first Nismo myself and didn't feel it was worth the hassle)
-Gains

I agree with the OP, definitely an increase in HP, Torque, and sound. Most of it on the top end of course.

Honestly very similar increases that I experienced with my G3 installation.

mikeb · 03-08-2018, 04:12 AM

Just found this thread so apologies for the late post. mcspooney or johnnydrama did you notice any losses at the low end?

johnnydrama · 03-08-2018, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeb

Just found this thread so apologies for the late post. mcspooney or johnnydrama did you notice any losses at the low end?

Yes. However, once my FI exhaust is installed, lightweight pulley, and Z1 plenum I am having the car ECUTEK tuned and believe that will smooth it back out.

johnnydrama · 03-08-2018, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnydrama

Yes. However, once my FI exhaust is installed, lightweight pulley, and Z1 plenum I am having the car ECUTEK tuned and believe that will smooth it back out.

Sorry I should have clarified in the post, I also currently have MD Art Pipes. I felt more of a fall off on the low end after they were installed. When I installed the intakes first I didn't notice a substantial decrease on the low end.

Quicksilvers · 03-09-2018, 12:21 AM

Best coin spent here would be on a long tube cold air intake like the Stillen Gen 3 cold air intake or install K&N drop in air filters in the stock air boxes.

10-01-2017, 03:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
mcspooney Base Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bay Area Posts: 51 Drives: 2011 370z White MT Rep Power: 12	New AEM Intakes? I took the liberty of ordering these: https://www.z1motorsports.com/air-in...t-p-11697.html I ordered them thru Z1 motorsports (because I love them and always get my parts from them). Ordered them August 31st and just got them yesterday, Sept 30th. They were drop shipped, so I think AEM is backed up on making these? I really think they are new, because I haven't seen a review on these ever. Please note. I have NEVER bought an aftermarket intake, so take some of my review with a grain of salt. I may have high expectations. I just got them yesterday and installed them this morning. Just got back from a test drive. Here are my thoughts: 1. For some reason, everywhere, even on the documentation that came with the AEM it says "mandrel-bent, aluminum tubing", but Z1 has also listed that its "rotomolded plastic aluminum tubing. It is definitely the latter. I think someone copy and pasted descriptions. 2. I was VERY skeptical at first, because the diameters of these tubes... are not that huge, especially where it mates with the filter. But they hand you a dyno graph with the instructions... so I YOLO'ed this puppy right on there. 3. Heat shields are really nice quality. 4. Buuuutt... you have to assemble the edge seals onto the heat shields when you get them. That includes cutting them to size. AEM just gives you a ~3 foot length of edge seal. I used all but about 4" of it. I was not bothered by this... but I think it should have come assembled. Maybe this is how they hit that 350$ mark. 5. There are little gaps in the heat shield. So I'm concerned that when I go to the track, this thing will be sucking in heat-soaked air. We shall see. 6. Fitment is pretty good, I would say 7.5 out of 10. There's a spot where they don't mention, where the edge seal kind of pinches down on the passenger headlight wiring harness. I wasn't fond of that. It takes some careful "maneuvering" (as they put it in the install manual) to get that sucker in there. I also had to pull out this part of the wiring harness on the driver's side... they didn't note it in the manual. I'm being rough here though. Instructions were pretty good. Impressions: 1. Starting the car and just driving up to the highway... I didn't notice a noise difference at all. I was letting the car warm up too, so I kept it below 4k RPM. 2. Hop on the highway and... the sound is a little subtle. I like the noise though. Its a rougher, poppier sound. I am probably not good at describing it, but I like it alot. Higher in the rev range, definitely much more noticable, much more enjoyable. 3. Power felt up, just a little. I believe 15 hp is right. Its got more power all around, especially near the top. I bought this intake for a few reasons: 1. Its pretty cheap. 350$ seems about as cheap as 370z intakes come... 2. Claimed power gain is on par with the better intakes. 3. No need to service through the front bumper. I take my front bumper off fairly regularly, so I'm not squeamish when it comes to taking it off. I just don't want to increase my need to pull it off. 4. It looks pretty nice. Very clean once installed. Looks at home in the engine bay. 5. I hate oil filters. This has a dry filter. Had K&N filters from a previous owner back in the day on one of my 240sx's. Oiling those was retarded. I probably over oiled it, because under oiling it seemed dangerous. Then that oil ended up all over the inside of my intake. Just not a fan. Anyway. If you guys are interested, I guess I could take some video. Just thought I would give the world some info on this puppy. mikeb likes this. __________________ Z1 34 Row Oil Cooler, Swift Springs, Nismo Struts, SPL Camber Arms. Z1 2 Piece Front Rotors. 10" Wide Sport Rays all around. BFG Geforce Rivals 285/35/19 all around.

10-06-2017, 08:09 AM	#6 (permalink)
Nixin A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: GWN Posts: 3,488 Drives: Goodbye Z! Rep Power: 19832	Spend your $ on a long tube CAI or stay with the stock air boxes and drop in K&N filters and silicone tubes. If you even do a bit of searching and reading on this forum, you will note that the short tube intakes are worthless. nightZ_driver and OhioYJ like this. Last edited by Nixin; 10-07-2017 at 09:54 AM.

10-07-2017, 12:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
mcspooney Base Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bay Area Posts: 51 Drives: 2011 370z White MT Rep Power: 12	I'm going to post up video and images soon. But let me say these are definitely not worthless. Definitely way better than stock intakes. Power is definitely up, sound is up at WOT. After driving these for a week, I'm sold. At $380, its a good deal. Love this intake. I do wish I could compare to Stillen Gen 3s tho. I can't imagine that you would have MUCH more power out of the Gen 3s though. If you are in the bay area and want to do a comparison, by all means, lets do a comparison! As far as Stillen Gen 2... these have dry filters which to me is a plus. Also, AEM actually published dyno numbers, which to me is a bit of crapshoot, but a little comforting on the purchase. Also... gen 2's are >500$, no? I should have gotten some video and images of the tubes before putting them on. The tubes are plastic, but very good quality. Airboxes are also very good quality. nightZ_driver likes this. __________________ Z1 34 Row Oil Cooler, Swift Springs, Nismo Struts, SPL Camber Arms. Z1 2 Piece Front Rotors. 10" Wide Sport Rays all around. BFG Geforce Rivals 285/35/19 all around.

10-07-2017, 01:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
mcspooney Base Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bay Area Posts: 51 Drives: 2011 370z White MT Rep Power: 12	Oh. A little more detail on the power via butt dyno: More torque everywhere. Very noticeable. Top end feels great, doesn't taper off as much as before. My big concern now is how do these fare when it comes to tuning? Maybe I wont get as much gain when I finally tune. nightZ_driver and JamesTheBrain like this. __________________ Z1 34 Row Oil Cooler, Swift Springs, Nismo Struts, SPL Camber Arms. Z1 2 Piece Front Rotors. 10" Wide Sport Rays all around. BFG Geforce Rivals 285/35/19 all around.

01-21-2018, 10:06 PM	#10 (permalink)
RanRich Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 425 Drives: 09 PG Sport M6 Rep Power: 3372	OP (or anyone else) any updates or pictures? I’ve been really missing the noise and response my intakes and would love to pick these up - heatshieds wrapped in heat reflective tape of course. __________________ AAM \| Dynosty \| Ecutek \| Eibach \| Hawk \| H&R \| Nismo \| Stillen \| Stoptech \| Z1

10-02-2017, 01:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
nightZ_driver Base Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Mexico Posts: 9 Drives: 2015 370z 7AT Rep Power: 10	I think I will get them too, I like how they look!! Can you upload some pictures and a video? 😜😜😜 Thanks for the review, it was helpful for me!

10-05-2017, 02:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
l2iceman Base Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 126 Drives: '10 370z Rep Power: 239	Thx for the review - I've been waiting for Z1 to have a Black Friday sales, read about others getting their CAI for $380, but this AEM one popped up on my radar. I haven't heard a VHR engine in person with a CAI, but if this matches the "sound" level of true CAI, and performance is close/on par, I'd probably spring for this due to not having to remove my bumper.

10-05-2017, 08:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ventruck Track Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: California Posts: 782 Drives: '13 Sport+Touring M6 Rep Power: 22897	Love how the heat shields look, but kinda scratching my head on how it ultimately compares to the Stillen G2. That's pricer, but CARB legal and probably has better construction. But then I'm not clear of diameters between the two, so....shrug. But cool to see another option on the market.

10-06-2017, 07:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
370zBoyz Base Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Driver seat Posts: 207 Drives: Nismo Rep Power: 7213	I still feel like the stock air intakes are better than these short cold air intakes unless you go with the long tubes leading to the bumper cold air intakes

10-07-2017, 07:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
nightZ_driver Base Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Mexico Posts: 9 Drives: 2015 370z 7AT Rep Power: 10	I want to see the intake in your car!

03-08-2018, 04:12 AM	#12 (permalink)
mikeb Base Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: gboro Posts: 80 Drives: 15 Sport Tech MagBlk Rep Power: 10	Just found this thread so apologies for the late post. mcspooney or johnnydrama did you notice any losses at the low end? __________________ mlb

03-09-2018, 12:21 AM	#15 (permalink)
Quicksilvers A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2017 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,039 Drives: 2017 370z Rep Power: 25462	Best coin spent here would be on a long tube cold air intake like the Stillen Gen 3 cold air intake or install K&N drop in air filters in the stock air boxes.

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