When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The Vararam kicks real good at 50 to 60 mph. And after that it really kicks in! I could really feel it when I was winding 3rd gear out. Hot darn! It's a huge difference..
It rips. I'm sure it helps in the second half of the quarter mile but i notice the most when I'm creeping up the rpms in third, ready to hit WOT at about 4000 rpms, and punch it.... It definitely adds some pull.
I know the fit isn't perfect but it's good and I love what it does for the car. It's cool that it makes those front vents highly functional. All current sports/supercars have such engineering. I haven't built my engine up massively but I just feel like if you start doing heads, cams etc it would be nice to know you're blasting air in there at 100 mph+.
Bit of a pain to install, plastic isn't the greatest quality but you don't see a lot of it once it's installed. It's been proven to gain up to 3/10 in the 1/4 though. On a dyno it probably isn't the best performer, on the road at speed is where it really performs. It was a very noticeable gain after I installed it.
With everyone else here. It will drive you to drinking (literally, buy a 6 pack. It will make you relax when the shotty fit annoys you) but it looks great installed, and is proven on the track.
I recently bought my Z and the PO had a vararam installed then pulled it and put in a K&N cone filter. He was worried about water ingestion if he got caught in a heavy rain. Is there any validity to that? He also said that the hardest part of the vararam install was the pieces near that attach to the bumper. He left those on and I have the other part of the system. It sounds like I should put it back on.
I recently bought my Z and the PO had a vararam installed then pulled it and put in a K&N cone filter. He was worried about water ingestion if he got caught in a heavy rain. Is there any validity to that?
There is no validity to water being inducted during a rain storm while using a VaraRam ! !
I was driving down south and got caught in a bad rain storm. And sure enough! It started coughing. It took about 30 seconds and then it cleared out. So yea in real bad rain it will suck some water in!
It works great - other than not sealing very well and the gauze filter letting a lot of fine sand in
Someone on the forum did data collection that showed no net intake pressure, as measured by the MAP sensor, with and without Vararam. Take that as you may.
I removed my Vararam and placed a basic air bridge in the stock location with a big Amsoil ea filter on it. I've not done any data collection on IAT's or MAP pressures. At least the engine is getting clean air!
Just putting in my two cents, but when I had my cam/headers/tune done, the guy doing the Dyno Tune said the only thing choking my car a little was my K&N Intake. He said a Vararam would be the best to put on, but it wasn't choking it enough to justify a few hundred bucks for a new intake. So if you're looking for one, go with a Vararam.
There is no validity to water being inducted during a rain storm while using a VaraRam ! !
I heard a lot of good things about the systems performance. For me, I am not putting one on my car. While I have heard rain is a nonissue; I am not going to chance it.
The air intakes pull in everything, bugs, dust, sand - heavy rain included. How much water does it take to Hydro lock an LS6? Don't know... Not worth it to me.
I would think poor fitment and leaks would tend to negate the "ram air" affect.
- On an unrelated note - Pumba your brake are awesome. I have brake envy.
Last edited by XotiK ZO6; Oct 15, 2014 at 03:50 PM.
To the op or anyone else. After I installed my vararam 3rd to 5th gear at WOT seemed to pull much harder. Especially 4th, with the stock unit shifting from 3rd to 4th the car seemed to just fall on its face, via sotp. With the vararam it just pulls harder above triple digits.
Though if your on a budget or wanna try some type of free cold air intake try the zip tie mod. Before i installed my vararam I had the zip tie mod it helped better then stock. But the vararam helped more over 100+mph compared to the ziptie.
Also I will say the vararam does have a poor seal if you don't set it up right. I modded my intake with some waterpoof glue and some gaskets. I also added a k & n dry charger to keep hard dirt, grit and bugs from sticking onto the pleats of the filter and entering the motor. It also might help out on some water droplets but not puddles. With or without the drycharger it still pulls the same. I just like that its less work cleaning the filter.
