Whats The Best Cold Air Intake? Why?

 

Do a search. There a lots of threads on this.

 

The short answer: C&L (racer or street) or JLT. Why? Performance and value.

 

+ 1... There are numerous threads and posts on this subject... Do a search. The most bang for the buck JLT

 

Cold Air Intake Comparisons

 

After reading that thank you, I have to add which is the best CAI under $300?

 

the article should have answered that too
the top gains were achieved by the JLT-II and the C&L CAI
so to answer your question, JLT-II is the best under $300 USD

 

If it's only the CAI you're looking for, then the C&L Racer from Bamachips is your best choice, at $299.
If you need a custom tune for it too, then go with the JLT2 ($199 at Bamachips) and with the extra $75 for the XCal2 tune, you're still below your $300 limit.

More info here: http://www.bamachips.com/store/

 

All tihs talk has really got me interested in getting a CAI kit. My 06 Mustang GT is my primary vehicle, I don't race, I don't plan to add a supercharger (at least not in the next 5 years), I don't plan to upgrade the exhaust until the one I have rots, etc. I do however enjoy 0-60's getting on the highway (we have some highway entrance stop lights) and dropping into 3rd while pulling out into the fast lane.

1) Can someone explain the performance difference when adding a $300ish CAI (tune included) to a stock S197 GT? So far from searching through past posts I can only find things like "this is a must" or "you'll never look back" or "the difference is huge" but nothing really solid. I think I saw that 0-60 times will go form 5.1 to 4.8 (is that true?) and the your 60 foot times will drop by some amount, but not being a professional driver, I don't know if you can feel that or not. What does adding 10% more horsepower really do for this engine that's noticeable to the average driver without getting on the dyno? Is it only noticeable during launch or acceleration at all speeds? If a bone stock GT and one with a CAI w/tune both open the throttle, will the one with the CAI noticeable pull away from the stock one?

2) What maintenance issues will I have to deal with? Are the filters easy to come by? Are they expensive? Do they get mucked up easily during normal driving (rain, dust, commuting) and therefore need to be replaced a lot?

Thanks!

 

Performace wise... with a tuner... maybe 20-30 HPs. It greatly reduces throttle lag so it seems like 30-50 HPs. Don't know about 0-60 times. Maintenance is very minimal. Most filters are can be cleaned, and/or re-charged. Some claimed "life-time", but that can be a long time for some... I know personally that I got about 85,000 miles on an old oil type K&N. So they do last a while... think of the money your save... I do highy recommend a CAI w/tuner... "You'll never look back"...lol

 

I had all of the same questions recently. I got a JLTII and SCT2 from Bamachips and just installed it yesterday. Together, with shipping, it came to $560. I did notice a difference just pulling out of my driveway. The throttle is much more sensitive. Driving around town, it almost seems "touchy", but that's a good thing. I have an automatic transmission, and I've never broken traction before, though I really haven't tried all that hard. Now, with the TCS off, I get wheel hop from a standing start. For drag racers, wheel hop is bad, but for me it showed how much more power the car had. The real excitement for me was barking the tires going into second and third! The car sounds a bit more muscular at wide open throttle as well. Overall, I think the car is more fun to drive. This is the first peformance mod I've done, and I think it was worth it. When I get used to the new power, I'll just upgrade my gas and install the 91 octane tune for even more fun. My only disappointment was that it took over 2 weeks for the intake and tune to arrive, even though Bamachips website said that they had over 2400 in stock. Doug says that the number is artificially high, and he actually didn't have any in stock when I ordered. He should be fully stocked by now, though. Don't go through ebay. Buy from one of the few highly acclaimed vendors that frequent this site.

 

As for the best CAI is concerned ? it all boils down to individual preference as some may prefer the JLT, Tunable Induction and the C&L racer intake for their lighter weight plastic design while others may prefer the C&L street intake for it's more durable cast aluminum design..With that being said, it would be unrealistic to provide such a definitive answer as everyone has different opinions as to which CAI is better over the other..From a performance standpoint they all provide just about the same HP and Torque gains anyhow..Personally speaking, I selected the Steeda CAI as my preference of choice because of it's 90mm cast aluminum design along with it's OEM quality fit and finish construction and most of all because it's designed exclusively to FRPP engineering specifications as a direct result of Steeda's partnership in Ford's technology transfer program in which btw is also the only CAI on the market to be covered under the all new FRPP warranty policy..Therefore IMHO, the Steeda CAI is just as good as the C&L, JLT and Tunable Induction hands down..

 

Can someone explain what this steeda "elbow" is and why it must be purchased separately?

 

It really is a night and day difference with a tune. Without a tune, imo it is not worth the effort if you can get one to work right. Expect to pay between 6-700 dollars for an intake/custom tune package depending on the intake.

 

The Steeda elbow is nothing more than a plastic intake tube similar to the C&L racer intake which replaces the factory rubber inlet tube by providing smoother and increased airflow into the throttle body which is good for up to an additional 2-5 HP..As for why it must be purchased separately ? I suppose perhaps there may be some who just don't wish to pay the additional $100.00 for just 5 more HP although Steeda has since reduced it's price on the CAI itself..