Installed Vararam Tonight
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 4
From: Cape May, NJ; Guntersville, AL; Orange Beach, AL
Installed Vararam Tonight
Just thought I would share my Vararam installation tonight. I was a little worried that it might be a pain after some of the Vararam install threads I have read in the past. It was anything but. Before I installed it I went and got some glue that was good for both foam and plastic and glued the foam down to prevent it from ever coming loose. I went and got the hook cutter razorblades from Lowe's. After removing the old airbox I traced the template with a felt tipped paint marker (couldn't get anything else that really worked well). I put a piece of plywood inbetween the condenser and the shroud to keep from cutting it. Using a regular razorblade and the hook blade I took my time (20 minutes) and I was easy. I cut the template exactly and it required NO trimming. Fit perfectly. I added the piece around the rough edges and installed the Vararam. I won't have the rest of the headers on until tomorrow so I didn't get to drive the car. If you are considering trying this yourself give it a shot. It took me 1.5 hours and that was doing it slow. Don't let all the "scary" posts about how "hard" this is keep you from doing it. Well worth it. 
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 11,549
Likes: 27
From: Southampton NJ
Just thought I would share my Vararam installation tonight. I was a little worried that it might be a pain after some of the Vararam install threads I have read in the past. It was anything but. Before I installed it I went and got some glue that was good for both foam and plastic and glued the foam down to prevent it from ever coming loose. I went and got the hook cutter razorblades from Lowe's. After removing the old airbox I traced the template with a felt tipped paint marker (couldn't get anything else that really worked well). I put a piece of plywood inbetween the condenser and the shroud to keep from cutting it. Using a regular razorblade and the hook blade I took my time (20 minutes) and I was easy. I cut the template exactly and it required NO trimming. Fit perfectly. I added the piece around the rough edges and installed the Vararam. I won't have the rest of the headers on until tomorrow so I didn't get to drive the car. If you are considering trying this yourself give it a shot. It took me 1.5 hours and that was doing it slow. Don't let all the "scary" posts about how "hard" this is keep you from doing it. Well worth it.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Your approach of trimming the shroud in the car while protecting the condenser is definitely the easiest way to install the VaraRam.
Good idea on gluing in the gaskets.
Good idea on gluing in the gaskets.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 4
From: Cape May, NJ; Guntersville, AL; Orange Beach, AL
I talked to Vararam and they said unless I was inserting a new shroud there was no need to remove the old one. I can see that it would be harder to cut out of the car because there is nothing holding the shroud stable. I think you are crazy if you try to remove the shroud to cut it.
