Cold air kit is it worth it?

Jester67 · Nov 2, 2007

Thanks Guys for the help and advice I will pass it along to him and let him make an informed decision.

PS It is great to see that the folks over here in the late model side are just as good and helpful as they are over in Classic tech. You will be seeing me over here as his project progresses.

astronut1885 · Nov 2, 2007

Oh, if you're into classics, and if he's into retro stuff, maybe look into an aftermarket shaker setup a-la the Mach 1. It's a bit pricey (probably over 1k by the time you're done installing), but it looks good, and at highway speeds is the best CAI out there. Personally, my favorite intake is the one that increases pressure . That's what I'll be running, a FRPP roots blower. These mod motors love boost.

2002BLGT · Nov 3, 2007

Jester67 said:
Sorry if this has been covered before. I did a search and could not find what I was looking for. My brother just bought a 2002 GT 5speed and wanted to know if the cold air kits where worth the money the car has a K&N filter in it now. He was also asking about a throttle body change. I work on classics and all this in new to me but I am sure you guys can point me in the right direction.

throttle body and plenum upgrade will net alot more HP per dollar than the CAI , especially if he already has a K&N in the car ....

Tim2002GT · Nov 3, 2007

2002BLGT said:
throttle body and plenum upgrade will net alot more HP per dollar than the CAI , especially if he already has a K&N in the car ....

If he's got the money, getting all three will be a nice improvement. I recently did this and felt a noticeable increase in power.

Edit: I didn't buy a CAI, I got the JLT RAI instead.

Winters98GT · Nov 4, 2007

didn't read the progress of the thread, but cold air kits stink on our cars...

2002BLGT · Nov 4, 2007

Winters98GT said:
didn't read the progress of the thread, but cold air kits stink on our cars...

they dont really stink , they just arent as much of an improvement over the stock design vs. an older 5.0 thats the only difference, the worst thing you can do is get a metal one because they hold heat , if you are going to get one , get a K&N , or JLT , S&B, AFE or any other brand that will have a plastic tube to the throttle body so it does not hold as much heat as the metal type ......

topless98gt · Nov 4, 2007

Most CAI's do not make much of a difference unless they are paired with a larger plenum & throttle body, and vice versa.

So, if you plan on eventually getting a larger plenum & throttle body, go for it. The JLT CAI kit is priced a little steep at $229.99, but IMO, it is one of the best CAI kits out there due to it's design.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/jlt-96-04-gt-cai.html

Winters98GT · Nov 4, 2007

2002BLGT said:
they dont really stink , they just arent as much of an improvement over the stock design vs. an older 5.0 thats the only difference, the worst thing you can do is get a metal one because they hold heat , if you are going to get one , get a K&N , or JLT , S&B, AFE or any other brand that will have a plastic tube to the throttle body so it does not hold as much heat as the metal type ......

yep. I lost 2rwhp on Strictly Performances dyno. Say no to metal, an open kn is fine.

19Stangnotch87 · Nov 6, 2007

cai

where did u get this roush CAI?

astronut1885 · Nov 7, 2007

tonys5.0 · Nov 8, 2007

+1 on the JLT.

Novanutcase · Nov 8, 2007

I agree with Winters but then again I haven't done the mod but from what I've read it would seem to me that the only thing really giving you a performance boost is the added flow the K & N filter gives you! The whole debate about engine bay air versus fenderwell air is BS. YOU WILL NOT NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE!

Do a search and my claim will be verified! I think the best way to go, short of you wanting to dress up your engine, is to replace the paper filter and go with a K & N High flow filter. Yeah, you can go with a plenum and throttle body but if you're going to go to all that trouble just buy a pro-charger or Kenne Bell.

John

topless98gt · Nov 8, 2007

Novanutcase said:
Yeah, you can go with a plenum and throttle body but if you're going to go to all that trouble just buy a pro-charger or Kenne Bell.

Plenum + Throttle Body ($400) < Kenne Bell / Pro-Charger (several thousand dollars)

astronut1885 · Nov 8, 2007

There's a big difference between buying a CAI, TB, and plenum and bolting them up in a couple hours and driving off and buying a blower and custom tuning a car around that. Some guys don't want all that power, they just want a little pick-up over factory. And I feel that if you're going with a larger tb/plenum, then a smoother aftermarket cai can't hurt. Look inside the stock elbow, how many wrinkles and uneven surfaces there are, then look at a CAI. Much smoother, which means less turbulent airflow to the TB. Also, fenderwell air will be cooler than engine bay air, especially when you consider the fact that the ones which leave the filter under the hood are right behind where all the hot air is being pulled through the radiator. Open your hood up after a hard run in a car, and feel all the hot air come rushing out at you like an oven. Then stick your hand up under a fenderwell, and you'll notice a difference.

scupking · Nov 8, 2007

Novanutcase said:
I agree with Winters but then again I haven't done the mod but from what I've read it would seem to me that the only thing really giving you a performance boost is the added flow the K & N filter gives you! The whole debate about engine bay air versus fenderwell air is BS. YOU WILL NOT NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE!

Do a search and my claim will be verified! I think the best way to go, short of you wanting to dress up your engine, is to replace the paper filter and go with a K & N High flow filter. Yeah, you can go with a plenum and throttle body but if you're going to go to all that trouble just buy a pro-charger or Kenne Bell.

John

Kenne Bell kit from MPH is around $6,000. I paid $200 for a 75mm throttle body and plenum kit, $189 for a K&N FIPK Gen II and about $189 for steeda UDPs. All together that’s about $600. Then you throw in gears for $142, Xcal 2 with tune from MPH at $420. That brings you up to $1162. Then add suspension $140 for FRPP B springs and $600 for bilsteins, MRT-Catted H and Magnapacks $800. All together I have spent around $2700 and my car feels like how I think a mustang should feel. That still leaves me with $3300 for cams rims and tires. Total for cams, install and dyno tune will be $1675. The rims and tires for around $900, total cost of my project is around $5,300. Now you will say you could get a vorteq mongoose kit for around $4,500 including install, tune but you still would want suspension, tires exhaust. It all depends on what you want, how you want to do it and how much money you have. To me I will have a well refined stang for $5,300. Total coast of car and mods $18,300

joshheat25 · Nov 8, 2007

SilverBullet00 said:
I actually took my CIA off my car and sold it, and put the stock setup back on. When I took it off my car drove slightly slower due to the extra weight of the money in my pocket.....

haha thats hilarious! If I were to do it all over again I would of saved the money towards something else!

fobra559 · Nov 9, 2007

I bought my car with the AEM CAI already in it. It's not a bad intake at all but I wish I had the C&L MAF Intake system though.

00stangv6lr · Nov 10, 2007

The drop in K&N is fine. The small gains you will see from the CAI will be from a smoother and straighter pipe, not from colder air. My opinion is that they are not worth it. They also tend to be a hassle down the road. If you get a blower you are going to sell it, and some tuners do not like them because of kits that move the MAF. Put the money in the bank and save for something that is worth it. Just my $.02.

Cold air kit is it worth it?

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