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Everyone says there intake is the best. You have to look at the #'s. The fastest C5 and C6's non F/I run Vararam. I had a Vararam before the S/C and never had a fitment issue or water issue. Just don't submerge the front end of your vette in a foot of water. If your driving your vette in a foot of water you should not have one to begin with. There's no point putting an intake on that pulls hot air from the radiator bay. You should get a tune also, get the most performance.
The cold air systems by Callaway and the flip tie-mod are both pulling air in from the rad intake area. Would this not have possible issues such as high moisture content if the air is humid or on wet roads. After all the intake is a bottom feeder intended for the (OK to be wet) rad.
Also, at idle and slow speeds would the rad not radiate (sorry, pun really not intended) heat directly into the air intake?
For this latter reason I think the guy who did a flip-tie mod but added an upside down paper tray scoop would be better as it would cut off the radiant heat. But, it would also make the potential water intake issue more likely.
My Z is a daily driver after this horrible thing they call winter; rain or shine. I love the idea of a cold intake, but a Vararam (regardless if fitment issues) seems a better idea. That or the bottom feeder flip-tie mod if one carefully watches for a wet filter.
The Breathless Performance unit seems to be the best purchased item to my thinking (it's a nice pre-built unit same as the flip-tie with scoop). Air intake from rad intake shroud, but with a cover to avoid hot radiant air from the rad. The only issues I see is as noted above; the potential for moisture into the intake system.
The Blackwing, Airraid and other similar do take air from the same place as factory intake, the area in front of the car, the same place as the engine breathes thru. So they will look nicer, maybe flow higher, likely be easier to change/clean filters, and maybe reduce weight a bit? In all honesty I think they all probably offer some minimal improvement over stock.
Just throwing it out there. Thoughts?
I have the vararam on my 04. Since it increases the airflow so much, some people's cars (including my own) cant adjust enough and will throw a lean code and require a tune...
Does the tune actually adjust the airflow or simply removes the code as a false code?
I have ran the VRB2
The honker (my second favorite)
and my current Halltech KBII.... (Favorite)
I noticed a significant difference with the KBII on my stroker motor... snappier throttle response and picked up about 10hp/Tq over the Honker... VRB2 wasn't even close (for me).... Just my opinion, experience. Others may vary...
The "best" is probably fairly subjective...
I called and talked with ChuckCow http://www.corvettes-of-westchester....ts/cowbooster/ inquiring about a CIA for my 04 he recommended the Vararam VR-B2 ... primarily because it is most responsive for his tuning...he will be installing and tuning mine in Norman Oklahoma this July..
01-27-2015, 10:17 AM
