[Official] "Which intake should I buy for my Z?" thread.

[Jordo!]

Bang for the buck, ease of installation = high flow panel filters + smooth intake tubes (cost is < $210)

Money to burn, better gains, but a bit more work to install = G3's (ideally found on sale, say < $400)

The short ram cone filter intakes don't have very good shielding, and may lose some whp over keeping the OEM airbox and just getting the high flow filter and tubes.

Originally Posted by Red__Zed

In on another thread with a massive display of cognitive dissonance.

For the record, post mafs with k and n is the way to go

Now, now, don't be snippy. I've amended my recommendation.

I just need to borrow someones' G3's and do a back to back test...

[Methodical4u]

Originally Posted by Jordo!

Bang for the buck, ease of installation = high flow panel filters + smooth intake tubes (cost is < $210)

Money to burn, better gains, but a bit more work to install = G3's (ideally found on sale, say < $400)

The short ram cone filter intakes don't have very good shielding, and may lose some whp over keeping the OEM airbox and just getting the high flow filter and tubes.


Now, now, don't be snippy. I've amended my recommendation.

I just need to borrow someones' G3's and do a back to back test...

read someone's post who had done a dyno test with the K&N SRI's, it made 6 whp on a heartbreaker dyno which would amount to I guess 9-10 whp on a standard dyno jet. Obviously that isn't the gains the G3's produce.. but if one were to do custom airboxes with a fang kit... what might that do? Though the price would be up there with the G3's by that time... you still may wind up with close to, or the same gains as the G3's.

Let's face it, cold air is what an intake is all about in the end... make it colder and make more power.

[SATX370Z]

i have the stillen gen 3s and and did fang ducting to get air to the front of the filters. i also cut 2 modest holes from my front bumper and cut out sections of the styrofoam so that it would have somewhat of a "ram air" effect. i have just been too embarassed to post pics cuz i dont want to get flamed for cutting holes in the bumper. im personally happy with the set up though and dont think i would go with any intake system other than the stillens. outside air really seems to be the way to go sir

[Jordo!]

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

read someone's post who had done a dyno test with the K&N SRI's, it made 6 whp on a heartbreaker dyno which would amount to I guess 9-10 whp on a standard dyno jet. Obviously that isn't the gains the G3's produce.. but if one were to do custom airboxes with a fang kit... what might that do? Though the price would be up there with the G3's by that time... you still may wind up with close to, or the same gains as the G3's.

Let's face it, cold air is what an intake is all about in the end... make it colder and make more power.

That's in the ball park for the tubes + high flow panel filters. I was just skeptical of the claimed difference for the G3's.

I'm less skeptical because I've recently found better evidence that it will make 8-10 more whp at various points in the rev range rather than 3-5, but in all probability the truth is probably somewhere in the middle (say, 6-8).

Anyway, because of that recent finding I've changed my conclusion on what price sounds (at least to me) reasonable for the difference in power one might hope to gain with the G3's over the modified stock set up (i.e. I used to say ~$250 was good deal, have changed that to ~$350 being a good deal -- retail is closer to $500!).

I still think bang for the buck, and ease of installation, you can't beat the panel filters and tubes, but the G3's defintely deserve more credit than I had been giving them (for whatever my 2 cents are worth to anyone...).

Regarding SRI's, I've seen more evidence that tend to either lose power or do no better than the modified OEM airbox, at least on this motor, and the underhood temps it produces.

Now with fang vents, you might see gains with an SRI on par with the G3's (that might be the ultimate bang for the buck arrangement), but, at least to my knowledge, that set-up remains largely untested.

[Methodical4u]

Originally Posted by Jordo!

That's in the ball park for the tubes + high flow panel filters. I was just skeptical of the claimed difference for the G3's.

I'm less skeptical because I've recently found better evidence that it will make 8-10 more whp at various points in the rev range rather than 3-5, but in all probability the truth is probably somewhere in the middle (say, 6-8).

Anyway, because of that recent finding I've changed my conclusion on what price sounds (at least to me) reasonable for the difference in power one might hope to gain with the G3's over the modified stock set up (i.e. I used to say ~$250 was good deal, have changed that to ~$350 being a good deal -- retail is closer to $500!).

I still think bang for the buck, and ease of installation, you can't beat the panel filters and tubes, but the G3's defintely deserve more credit than I had been giving them (for whatever my 2 cents are worth to anyone...).

Regarding SRI's, I've seen more evidence that tend to either lose power or do no better than the modified OEM airbox, at least on this motor, and the underhood temps it produces.

Now with fang vents, you might see gains with an SRI on par with the G3's (that might be the ultimate bang for the buck arrangement), but, at least to my knowledge, that set-up remains largely untested.

Good, honest post. Here is the issue though. The Stillen's Injen's are king when it comes to gains because of the simple fact that they are getting the coldest air possible... period.

There is NO way to get air any colder than ambient for obvious reasons, so no matter what set up you have if you are getting outside air in... that's as good as it's going to get.

The only way I would know (and i'm no mechanic) would be to increase the amount of air going into the engine and of course we could do that with FI, but without it, I suppose maybe a filter that has a higher CFM, but then the question has to be asked... how much air can an NA engine actually take in? You can design the most elaborate system in the world, but that doesn't mean that all of the air is going to be able to be sucked in and used efficiently.

As far as bang for the buck, I agree the post maf tubes and better filters are going to be the best way to go. I don't know how much power the fang vents would add, but it would have to be at least a few hp I would imagine. Here the problem is yet again though, how can they be tested? You could put a fan in front of each fang and test it if you knew the mph of the air and how much it was cooling the engine, but then, how accurate would that be?

If the stock set up with fang vents would work... where would the power band be? Would the ram air be able to compete with the G3's at the top end with that air being forced and sucked in at the same time or would it fall off?

All questions that really cannot be answered in all reality. There are 2 ways to tell, a dyno and 1/4 trap speed... i'd be interested to see myself.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

Good, honest post. Here is the issue though. The Stillen's Injen's are king when it comes to gains because of the simple fact that they are getting the coldest air possible... period.

There is NO way to get air any colder than ambient for obvious reasons, so no matter what set up you have if you are getting outside air in... that's as good as it's going to get.

The only way I would know (and i'm no mechanic) would be to increase the amount of air going into the engine and of course we could do that with FI, but without it, I suppose maybe a filter that has a higher CFM, but then the question has to be asked... how much air can an NA engine actually take in? You can design the most elaborate system in the world, but that doesn't mean that all of the air is going to be able to be sucked in and used efficiently.

As far as bang for the buck, I agree the post maf tubes and better filters are going to be the best way to go. I don't know how much power the fang vents would add, but it would have to be at least a few hp I would imagine. Here the problem is yet again though, how can they be tested? You could put a fan in front of each fang and test it if you knew the mph of the air and how much it was cooling the engine, but then, how accurate would that be?

If the stock set up with fang vents would work... where would the power band be? Would the ram air be able to compete with the G3's at the top end with that air being forced and sucked in at the same time or would it fall off?

All questions that really cannot be answered in all reality. There are 2 ways to tell, a dyno and 1/4 trap speed... i'd be interested to see myself.

Not necessarily true. Yes, they do pull "cold air" from the bumper but they also suffer from heat soak due to those big long metal pipes. From recent threads, dynos for the differences of the Post MAF Tubes and Drop Ins vs. G3's when you do other modifications (Exhaust...), makes the difference only a few HP. So if a few HP is worth $300 more to you, then go and get the G3's...

So, as mentioned earlier, if your looking to get every last HP, then G3's but bang for buck, MAF Tubes and Drop
Ins...

EDIT - Methodical, just realized you were in the last thread lol...

[Pelican170]

To OP - Here is a link to the other thread regarding the gains of Post MAF Tubes vs. G3's if your interested...

Post Maf Tubes & Drop-ins, worth it??