Best Intake system?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50
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From: SC
Best Intake system?
Hey guys,
Sorry I'm fairly new to technically car stuff, my brother and dad have been big into cars for awhile and I recently got my first car, a C5 corvette this past Christmas. I drag raced yesterday now I'm addicted!
I was told coming here would be the best place to find the best answers for most of my questions! I've been looking for a new air intake system for my car, do you guys have any you prefer? Which has the most HP gains?
Edit; my car is a 99' if that helps
Sorry I'm fairly new to technically car stuff, my brother and dad have been big into cars for awhile and I recently got my first car, a C5 corvette this past Christmas. I drag raced yesterday now I'm addicted!
I was told coming here would be the best place to find the best answers for most of my questions! I've been looking for a new air intake system for my car, do you guys have any you prefer? Which has the most HP gains?
Edit; my car is a 99' if that helps
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,407
Likes: 288
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
My preference is the Callaway Honker, I changed it out for the vararm intake. You will get a lot of opinions from people here. I will just say you should go with an intake that takes in outside air and not hot air from under the hood. 
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,325
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From: You can't get there from here NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Welcome. There are as many opinions here on intakes, as there are intakes produced. Your best bet is to go to the home page on the forum and look at Reviews. There are reviews by members of various products. Next, go to search, and look for intakes. There are basically two kinds- warm air and cold air. Warm air, are filters and couplings which draw air ( more efficiently than stock filters)from inside the engine compartment, such as Halltech or Blackwing. Cold air intakes draw air from outside the engine compartment, such as Vortech, Vararam, and Callaway.There are pluses and minuses , and trade-offs to each type, but in reality, a cold air/fuel mixture nets you more HP.Check ALL the threads , and READ,READ,READ.Good luck.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: North Tonawanda, New York
CI 7-8-9 Veteran
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50
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From: SC
You all would take the callaway honker over the Vararam VR-B2 - Ram Air Intake System?
I was reading the reviews on the vararam and they were all good reviews, producing more power then the callaway.
Thanks for all of your help!
I was reading the reviews on the vararam and they were all good reviews, producing more power then the callaway.
Thanks for all of your help!
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 195
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From: El Sobrante CA
I have a Vararam VRB2. Mixed reviews on it bro, but generally there is more positive reviews than good reviews. Mines produced a very noticeable difference, and I felt it. I could not say anything about the Honker because I have never used one. Good luck though, either will be OK because they both draw cold air.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50
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From: SC
I have a Vararam VRB2. Mixed reviews on it bro, but generally there is more positive reviews than good reviews. Mines produced a very noticeable difference, and I felt it. I could not say anything about the Honker because I have never used one. Good luck though, either will be OK because they both draw cold air.
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Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,799
Likes: 1
From: Dayton Ohio
Welcome. There are as many opinions here on intakes, as there are intakes produced. Your best bet is to go to the home page on the forum and look at Reviews. There are reviews by members of various products. Next, go to search, and look for intakes. There are basically two kinds- warm air and cold air. Warm air, are filters and couplings which draw air ( more efficiently than stock filters)from inside the engine compartment, such as Halltech or Blackwing. Cold air intakes draw air from outside the engine compartment, such as Vortech, Vararam, and Callaway.There are pluses and minuses , and trade-offs to each type, but in reality, a cold air/fuel mixture nets you more HP.Check ALL the threads , and READ,READ,READ.Good luck.
I love my VR-B2, and wouldn't trade it for anything at the moment. If you're already on the fence, you might want to check out this thread (if you haven't done so already). http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=vararam
The callaway does look nicer, but only you can determine what that's worth. Good luck!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,453
Likes: 81
From: Fishin' Pole FL
Welcome to the forum Mark. There's lots of discussion on this topic just about any day here. I think there was a Group Purchase going on for the Callaway and the sale on the Vararam looks good too. Good-Luck on your decision for a Cold Air Induction.
Last edited by dndrsn; Mar 18, 2007 at 10:41 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,799
Likes: 1
From: Dayton Ohio
Welcome to the forum Mark. There's lots of discussion on this topic just about any day here. I think there was a Group Purchase going on for the Callaway and the sale on the Vararam looks good too. Good-Luck on your decision for a Cold Air Induction.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
Taking in large amounts of water, if you live somewhere that it rains often. Other than that, its pretty awesome. I have a Blackwing on my car and my brother has the Vararam.
I wish I would have went with the Vararam also. For me, the only thing holding me back from the Vararam is, my car is tuned with the Blackwing and the Vararam would require another tune.
I wish I would have went with the Vararam also. For me, the only thing holding me back from the Vararam is, my car is tuned with the Blackwing and the Vararam would require another tune.
Last edited by Johnny Hardcore; Mar 18, 2007 at 11:14 PM. Reason: spelling
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,799
Likes: 1
From: Dayton Ohio
I've driven through torrential downpours without any issues. To cause damage, you'd need to encounter standing water (or a wave, when meeitng another car) higher than your fog light housings. I've never driven my vette through water that deep, so it hasn't been a problem.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I think the hydrolock issue with the VRs is way over played, especially with the new model. The Vararams are a PITA to install though...The Honker is a fantastic intake and also relocates your MAF to where it makes more sense to have it...
FWIW I chose the Hurricane and am really happy with it.
I recommend getting a radiator shroud screen for under the car when you upgrade your intake... I know mine turns into a friggin vacume cleaner when the fans kick on!
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,530
Likes: 250
From: CT
Here's some before/after dyno results for the Honker.
http://www.callawaycars.com/callaway...rC5Article.htm
Compares popular aftermarket intake system to Callaway Honker system.
Testing performed by MTI Racing, Marietta, GA.
(Posted with permission of Primedia, Inc.)
Test Summary -
1. baseline with "performance" intake: 399.9 rwhp
2. with Honker intake system: 419.4 rwhp (+19.5 hp over baseline)
3. with Honker plus tuning: 432.2 rwhp (+32.1 hp over baseline)
http://www.callawaycars.com/callaway...rC5Article.htm
Compares popular aftermarket intake system to Callaway Honker system.
Testing performed by MTI Racing, Marietta, GA.
(Posted with permission of Primedia, Inc.)
Test Summary -
1. baseline with "performance" intake: 399.9 rwhp
2. with Honker intake system: 419.4 rwhp (+19.5 hp over baseline)
3. with Honker plus tuning: 432.2 rwhp (+32.1 hp over baseline)
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,407
Likes: 288
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
The Honker is better quality build, it relocates the MAF closer to the TB, I think it is a better engineered piece. I can feel the difference in the throttle response through out the entire RPM range with the honker, when I had the vararam I only felt an increase in power on the top end and at highway speeds, and some people do complain about pulsing. I believe the honker is emission legal for the LS1 in all 50 states. Also the quality of filter fitment on the vararam sucks, or at least it did on mine and a few others that complain on here.
Taking in the air from the front of the Vette like vararam does my filter got a lot dirtier and faster then the honker filter. Both the vararam and the honker do work, for everyday driving I say the honker is the best bet. If you just have a track car will the vararam do better then the honker? I can't say since I never tested both on the track on the same car on the same day.
Lastly the size of the filter area on the Honker is larger:
Vararam on top, then honker, then stock.
Taking in the air from the front of the Vette like vararam does my filter got a lot dirtier and faster then the honker filter. Both the vararam and the honker do work, for everyday driving I say the honker is the best bet. If you just have a track car will the vararam do better then the honker? I can't say since I never tested both on the track on the same car on the same day.
Lastly the size of the filter area on the Honker is larger:
Vararam on top, then honker, then stock.