CAI Ridiculous High Pricing
#21
Instructor
Thread Starter
^^^ This...
Similar R&D and tooling goes into fabricating aftermarket CAIs for all cars, but prices are not similar.
Edit: Also, the OEM set-up isn't too shabby. Unless you plan on tuning, then a high-flow filter will "generally" yield similar results (See the BMS and Attack Blue filter threads).
Similar R&D and tooling goes into fabricating aftermarket CAIs for all cars, but prices are not similar.
Edit: Also, the OEM set-up isn't too shabby. Unless you plan on tuning, then a high-flow filter will "generally" yield similar results (See the BMS and Attack Blue filter threads).
#22
I bought a Halltech Superbee, the 107 that was supposed to be the latest and greatest, for my '13. $500, not worth it, and I noticed it wasn't around for long. The larger K&N filter was nice, the Beehive cover was a good idea, as well. But there was no way to get any significant outside air through the shroud to it without setting off lean codes--especially with moving the Hitachi MAF forward, as it did. The routing of the air intake on my '18 Stingray seems like a big improvement over the past. Won't be buying another so called CAI.
#23
Race Director
It is just the market, supply and demand. You have enough people that will pay that much for a few more HP. In reality a CAI usually isn't beneficial unless you modify something else. A lot of people think they know better than the engineers that designed the car to fit within certain limits.
#24
Moderator
^^^ This...
Similar R&D and tooling goes into fabricating aftermarket CAIs for all cars, but prices are not similar.
Edit: Also, the OEM set-up isn't too shabby. Unless you plan on tuning, then a high-flow filter will "generally" yield similar results (See the BMS and Attack Blue filter threads).
Similar R&D and tooling goes into fabricating aftermarket CAIs for all cars, but prices are not similar.
Edit: Also, the OEM set-up isn't too shabby. Unless you plan on tuning, then a high-flow filter will "generally" yield similar results (See the BMS and Attack Blue filter threads).
#25
Safety Car
Originally Posted by pewter99
yeah I saw one for $1000 its a freakin filter and plastic tube...
#26
Drifting
My old WS6 Trans Am had a factory Cold air intake. With some mods, it became a true Ram Air intake and helped pressurize the intake air as speed increased. Not so on the Corvette. Besides, the intake on the Stingray is the same as the Z06, so you won't get any significant improvement, at least on a Stingray...
#28
Drifting
#29
Where does the Stingray get air to the filter from? It looks like the Mustang/Civic SI system that gets it from the wheel well, but is it from the inner fender or an opening in the right engine compartment? Can't really tell from looking at it from the top.
#30
Drifting
It's the inner fender. It's definitely not pulling air from the engine compartment. All the CAI products pull from the same location.
The following 2 users liked this post by bigsapper:
corvetteflier (08-23-2017),
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#32
Vararam should have their C7 LT1 out soon for under $500.
#33
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
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#34
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
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#35
Le Mans Master
#36
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15- '16-'17-‘18-‘19-'20-'21
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They still have to prove it in a court of law. That is what litigation is all about. The Z06 is not my only vehicle. I have the time and liquidity to wait them out.
#37
Le Mans Master
I put Vararams on my C5 and later when I bought my C6 I put one on that too. And yes they really did make a difference. But both of them at the time we around $350.00 on a group purchase on this forum. Both of them required some cutting of the shroud and were not that simple to install. However the C7 CAI's are all so expensive and I don't know why. As to R&D and Tooling a "Million dollars"?!?! I've been in the molding and design business all my life and that's total BS! The people who are selling these things are basically fleecing us. Not that they don't work but in reality they would make a profit if they sold them 25% less anyway. IMHO this is the only reason they're so expensive. Just saying.
#38
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St. Jude Donor '16-'17,'22,'24
If that happens, then you'll see the price of the competition react. Right now it's demand driven and the sellers are not budging on price. All it takes is one seller to come in at a substantially lower price and the demand for the high priced units collapses. At over $1K for something that only adds a few HP, and considering Vararam's reputation, if they launch one at $500, they'll own the market.
#39
The C6 Vararams used the shroud cutout to get outside air. Not sure how they can improve substantially on the new airbox location. The other so called CAIs are basically nothing more than a different, supposedly better flowing filter from what I've seen. Filters are cheap. You could change yours every 3k miles and get the same benefit while being money ahead. As I said, the $500 I spent on the Halltech 107 was a complete waste of money, imo. Getting a large K&N and propping the shroud open on my '06 made a big difference. But with the hyper sensitive Hitachi MAF on the '13, the so called Halltech CAI was a pita and basically useless. Lesson learned...
The following 2 users liked this post by corvetteflier:
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#40
Le Mans Master
People who modify their cars for performance and then cry afterwards when stuff breaks ruin it for everyone else.