1st, no, I got the MAF about 1-1/2 years ago. It was my 2nd modification after my gears, and it did give a nice SOTP improvement throughout the RPMs it pulled harder low & high. C&L then started producing the Trueflow Pipe. I honestly didn't feel much improvement with that over the rubber pipe. I actually felt like I might've lost some low RPM power, but that's just my butt talking, not dyno numbers. I'm sure it flows better than stock, but at near-stock power levels, with nothing flowing better after the pipe, I suppose it couldn't perform to it's potential. I didn't put the rubber pipe back in place after doing the plenum & T.B., so I'm not entirely sure weather or not I would feel a difference now that some downstream restrictions have been taken care of. With the Plenum & Throttle Body, the low RPM change was subtle, but noticeable, and at about 3k rpm it starts pulling quite a bit harder than stock.
As far as the pipe heating up, I have to disagree with 1999GTCONV, mine does gets hot, to the point that you could burn your hand on it if you tried to handle it too long. LOL, I actually did burn my thumb on it when I got my Plenum, because I was so anxious to put it on.
