Status Elite Intakes, Yes I own $800 short rams
 

I bought the Status Elite intakes from another member who ended up having to sell their 370Z due to a job relocation.

They are the 04/22 (4th out of 22 total made sets, lol)

They were brand new, the box was never opened. With that being said, I consider myself the original owner of these intakes. The install problems are indicated below. After the install they look pretty nice and fit well enough. They are a bit better than the JWT Pop Chargers for the fact the intake pipes extend all the way to the throttlebodies. Worth $800 for plain old polished stainless steel pipes and regular K&N-style filters? NO WAY. My recommendation would be to spend your money on the Stillen Gen3 CAIs.

After installing, I ended up sending an e-mail to Status Elite about their product:


"Hi,

I just installed a pair of your intakes onto my 370Z and noticed a few things:

1) You only included 2 clamps instead of 4 for the tops of the intakes (the coupler part). So I could only clamp down the part that connects to the throttlebody, but you didn't give me the other 2 clamps for the other side of the coupler for the intake side.

2) Looking down into the engine bay, the left side intake filter makes contact with the power steering reservior.

3) You included a bracket, but I have no idea what to use it on or for? Is this for the power steering rubbing issue?

4) The filters were a huge ordeal to get to stay clamped onto the intakes.. If you clamped them too tight, they would pop off, clamp them too little, they move too much. I had to use some rubbing alcohol to clean the rubber that makes contact with the intakes because they felt as if some oil was rubbed on them. This helped a little but not quite. I had to fiddle with the clamp and use the right positioning to get the clamp to work well with the filters.

A suggestion here would perhaps use a wider filter clamp.

So, could you send me my 2 missing clamps for the rubber couplers? And could you tell me what the bracket you included is intended for?

My address is:

Jay XXXXX
XXXXXXX
Jacksonville, Florida
XXXXX

Lastly, packing in some instructions or "tips" would help a lot too! For $800, I expected a more thought-out package. On the plus side, the intakes were packaged very well in the box and I appreciate that.

Thanks in advance,

Jay"


I'll let you know the outcome.

And now the pics... Forgive the low quality, took them with my iPhone 3GS, actually they look pretty good for a phone, hmm.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/...f2673563_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/...339d2723_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/...73622c6e_b.jpg

And this is showing how the filter touches the power steering reservior.. but apparently the bracket I have moves the reservior a little over to the left..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/...d25e632c_b.jpg

Yeah they got no where over on the G37 forum making only 12 of them :lol:

pics please ... 800 really wow

holy crap

Yup they said they were limited production:ugh2:

I knew they were a limited run and I already read most of that G37 thread before I even bought these.. I figure, they are atleast going to give me 15 whp as their dyno runs suggested. I have no doubt they are going to give me gains, they are made well at least, the welds look very nice and clean and they have some of the largest filter openings i've ever seen (not that we need them or that it matters). And lastly, they probably saved me 2-3 lbs over the stock setup.

Luckily, I had none of the issues the thread you linked of the guy.. My sensors went right in with no problems.

But you couldve gained that with the Stillens for half the price correct? Im asking not being d!ck.....

I am in no way trying to undermine your purchase or the credibility of status elite.... however I would just like to bring a couple of things to everyone's attention. Its just something I noticed a while back...perhaps I am completely wrong, but I would like to get your opinions. Maybe I'm crazy...

Check this out... this is a picture that Lou at Amplified posted a while back..

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture918.jpg


Now..those are the Status Elite short rams.

Then immediately after, Amplified posted a picture of the JWT intakes... which I found rather peculiar at the time, why would you post a competitor's intake system when you are trying to to sell the Status Elite..

Here is the picture as posted by amplified.

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture220.jpg


Now take a look at my pics of the JWT when I tested them out...

http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k...041024x768.jpg


What I'm trying to say is that there are striking similarities between the JWT design and the Status Elite design..

The main difference is that the Status Elite also replaces the corrugated part of the stock intake...now Im no welding expert...but those sure look like welds on the Status Elite's where the JWT short ram intakes would end. Seems almost like they tacked on extentions to replace the corrugated part, painted them black and rebranded as Status Elite.

There's nothing wrong with that; manufacturers do this all the time and its perfectly acceptable practice. No one has done anything wrong here and I'm not saying "oh look at these cheaters!" but...the JWT's are what like $350?

I'm kinda treading on thin ice, but do chime in people if Im wrong.

I didn't pay $800, or anywhere near that price for these. But the person I bought them from DID. I don't know how much JWT short rams go for, but i'm willing to bet I spent less than those go new.

RCZ, my Status Elite intakes look nothing like the JWTs in those pictures.. Except for the top picture where they are shown in black, mine are those, but they aren't anything like the JWTs.. the sensor bung, the pipes and welds are different.

Edit: RCZ, he's got JWT filters on the SE intakes.. that's the only discrepancy.. The SE filters are red like K&Ns..

I'll take a picture of mine when I get a chance..

Totally not worth it to me..... It was all hype and limited production.
At least they refunded a guy on myg37.

Cool, Im not making any allegations, just observations. If you do post pics, that would be cool.

The picture on the top, the black ones, from the half down are very very similar to the JWT's. If you say yours looks like the ones in the top picture...then thats what I'm trying to say...

That's my point, as I stated in the original post, they are not worth $800.. $700, $600, $500, or even $400.. They could have gotten away with $300 probably. They are decently made intakes.. They fit fine, other than the left one's filter hitting the power steering reservior. I've been checking the filter everyday and don't see any signs of rubbing damage.