Good Air Intake System
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 85
From: Palm Coast, FL
do you drive in rain?
how much of an install can you handle? 5 min or 2 hours?
how much can you spend?
what kind of gains do you want?
a 2002+ z06 filter lid and k&n cost under 100 and are worth about 10hp on a base coupe, also great for heavy rain due to the design
blackwing, little more money, couple more hp,
haltech and honker, more money still, few more hp, can get wet in rain
vararam is the odd one out. makes a lot of hp in most situations, can require retuning, will most likely dirty the filter the fastest. not ideal for wet weather operation, but, very popular with guys who don't daily drive and drag race
how much of an install can you handle? 5 min or 2 hours?
how much can you spend?
what kind of gains do you want?
a 2002+ z06 filter lid and k&n cost under 100 and are worth about 10hp on a base coupe, also great for heavy rain due to the design
blackwing, little more money, couple more hp,
haltech and honker, more money still, few more hp, can get wet in rain
vararam is the odd one out. makes a lot of hp in most situations, can require retuning, will most likely dirty the filter the fastest. not ideal for wet weather operation, but, very popular with guys who don't daily drive and drag race
ANYTHING will run better than the stock one. I think I have a K&N and a black-wing filter laying around somewhere, I am running the vararam. Haven't ran into the water problem like I hear about on the forum, been running it for years but don't usually drive the vette in driving rainstorms and through deep standing water puddles.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
No but that's what they say, I can vouch though my car has better throttle response, and pulls better with it. Mpg even went up about a 1-2 mpg, I don't know how much taking out the foglight covers helped because I did that at the same time.
Last edited by F&Yb0dluvr; Apr 27, 2014 at 11:30 AM.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 674
Likes: 1
From: Stockbroker=Glorified used car salesman?
Pro
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 666
Likes: 2
From: western springs illinois
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 352
From: Carson City Nevada
do you drive in rain?
how much of an install can you handle? 5 min or 2 hours?
how much can you spend?
what kind of gains do you want?
a 2002+ z06 filter lid and k&n cost under 100 and are worth about 10hp on a base coupe, also great for heavy rain due to the design
blackwing, little more money, couple more hp,
haltech and honker, more money still, few more hp, can get wet in rain
vararam is the odd one out. makes a lot of hp in most situations, can require retuning, will most likely dirty the filter the fastest. not ideal for wet weather operation, but, very popular with guys who don't daily drive and drag race
how much of an install can you handle? 5 min or 2 hours?
how much can you spend?
what kind of gains do you want?
a 2002+ z06 filter lid and k&n cost under 100 and are worth about 10hp on a base coupe, also great for heavy rain due to the design
blackwing, little more money, couple more hp,
haltech and honker, more money still, few more hp, can get wet in rain
vararam is the odd one out. makes a lot of hp in most situations, can require retuning, will most likely dirty the filter the fastest. not ideal for wet weather operation, but, very popular with guys who don't daily drive and drag race
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,028
Likes: 170
From: oregon
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 352
From: Carson City Nevada
You made statements about K & N, Blackwing, Haltech, Honker, and my favorite, Vararam. I don't know about the others, but I've had two Vararams on two different c5's and your info on that is way off. I'm just wondering where your info comes from? Have you had experience with each of these systems?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,028
Likes: 170
From: oregon
You made statements about K & N, Blackwing, Haltech, Honker, and my favorite, Vararam. I don't know about the others, but I've had two Vararams on two different c5's and your info on that is way off. I'm just wondering where your info comes from? Have you had experience with each of these systems?
have seen hondas hydrolock from forced air intakes that pick up low like the vara.
it was enough of a concern that i decided not to get a vara for just this reason. the design just looked risky from that perspective
as you may have noticed, the theme of the statement was that the more open and better flowing the intake tends to get, the more debris and possibly water are introduced to the filter element
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 352
From: Carson City Nevada
one friend here had one. i doubt in your location you would have a problem, here in the NW 1" of standing water is common. he mentioned finding mud in the filter.
have seen hondas hydrolock from forced air intakes that pick up low like the vara.
it was enough of a concern that i decided not to get a vara for just this reason. the design just looked risky from that perspective
as you may have noticed, the theme of the statement was that the more open and better flowing the intake tends to get, the more debris and possibly water are introduced to the filter element
have seen hondas hydrolock from forced air intakes that pick up low like the vara.
it was enough of a concern that i decided not to get a vara for just this reason. the design just looked risky from that perspective
as you may have noticed, the theme of the statement was that the more open and better flowing the intake tends to get, the more debris and possibly water are introduced to the filter element
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 6,029
Likes: 85
From: Palm Coast, FL
Taking the filter element out when racing helps a little but I don't like the feeling of racing it that way, so I leave it in.
I've heard stories on here about hyrolocking but each story was truly the drivers fault for doing things in their car like it was a raised pick-up truck.
Isn't the varraram the only real cold air intake .. with the others still grabbing hot air from under the hood? There is the one the you have to cut into your shroud for some
I've heard stories on here about hyrolocking but each story was truly the drivers fault for doing things in their car like it was a raised pick-up truck.
Isn't the varraram the only real cold air intake .. with the others still grabbing hot air from under the hood? There is the one the you have to cut into your shroud for some
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 109
Likes: 2
From: Peachtree City Georgia
Stock C5? Save your money and just put a reusable element in your stock system. Unless you make other changes you won't get diddly out of it. It will look cool as hell but it will be pretty much worthless. You can only take in as much air as you can exhaust. I do like the way some of them look though.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 17,755
Likes: 1,210
From: Aiken, SC
St. Jude Donor '13 thru '26
Since mine is still stock I'll jump in as well.
I remember reading threads where some of these are an absolute PITA to install. Which ones would those be?
What unit is an actual cold air intake?
Blackwing for example looks as if it just grabs from under the hood.
Lastly, am I the only one that finds all those oversized hose clamps just hideous?
Thanks guys!
I remember reading threads where some of these are an absolute PITA to install. Which ones would those be?
What unit is an actual cold air intake?
Blackwing for example looks as if it just grabs from under the hood.
Lastly, am I the only one that finds all those oversized hose clamps just hideous?
Thanks guys!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 46
From: Springfield IL.
Oldtimer
I choose one of these and am very happy with it. Didn't want to have to oil the media after cleaning. I did make a plenum out of aluminum so it pulls air from behind the bumper. The original filter housing has very small holes, that's what makes them so restricted. I can tell a big difference in my car with it installed. I have got some lean codes when the air is real good in the early spring late fall, not often.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 12,414
Likes: 1,750
From: DFW TX
Run K&N at your car's risk. They let fine grit through. Hold it up to a light, you can see the holes. I have first-hand experience with gritty intake systems & high silicon/metal wear in the oil analysis from (properly maintained) k&n filters.
IF the intake system allows more air flow / less pressure drop, some or all of the HP gain is from the engine running leaner. Be careful!
Comparisons of various intake systems with MAP sensor and A/F data is vanishingly rare. The dirty little secret is that the stock system works very well; aftermarket systems are very lucrative but often compromise filtration and the engine tune.
IF the intake system allows more air flow / less pressure drop, some or all of the HP gain is from the engine running leaner. Be careful!
Comparisons of various intake systems with MAP sensor and A/F data is vanishingly rare. The dirty little secret is that the stock system works very well; aftermarket systems are very lucrative but often compromise filtration and the engine tune.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 901
Likes: 2
From: Palm City Fl
When I bought my 99 coupe I didn't know what I wanted for an air intake so, I cut the front out of the stock airbox cover and put a in a K&N filter ($50). Noticed quite a difference in throttle response after the mod. I much later found a good deal on a K&N CAI and swapped them out. I could not tell any difference after putting on the K&N CAI. I now run the modded stock airbox on my supercharged 02 Z06. I do have a Blackwing waiting on me to fabracate an airdamn to make it work with my Maggie, but I am only doing it for looks as I do not expect to get any gain from it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 804
Likes: 4
So many opinions yet the few based on facts get stampeded. The stock air intake will easily support 400+HP so in reality unless you have moded and tuned your car above these numbers there is very little to be gained. The Vararam although a pita to install is in my opinion the best performing one out there. The gains can only be measured at the track and not the dyno but none the less they do prove it does help overall performance. A clean looking install is what sets Honker apart from Vararam and numbers come close to what Vararam achieves. Truth is most would much better benefit from a good dyno tune than just bolting on a different air filter.
