New fabrication has started, Keep scrolling down Intake Is Finished!!

Here is the rough draft of the airbox i'm making, used lexan and an xacto self healing mat, and a 10 dollar intake kit from a swap meet. weatherstrip was from a honda and just laying around.

the lexan is held down by 1 screw, the ridge, and the hasp.
Side marker removed, pulls air from there, underneath, and behind the headlight.
blue led strip with a switch hidden behind the airbox.
planning on relocating the batt to the back, and making a full lexan airbox.

whatcha think??

When I get started on the final design, I'll post the progress here.

 

78 views and no opinions?
let me know what you think of my ghetto airbox! lol

im trying to get some ideas, so let me know anything you think about it.
good opinions or bad.

 

How is the battery held in right now?

 

temporarily its just sitting there, but it doesn't move at all.
i drive from webster to tampa (140 miles round trip) twice a week for school and havent had any problems at all with it moving.

i do believe there is something on the bottom keeping it from sliding.
also please excuse my ******* wiring setup, lol. getting ready to rewire everything.

 

sorry but the hasp and the big *** screw make it look ugly. wouldnt do on my car..... just my .02

 

That is an idea I have been working on too. I like it. The concept is there. Contact someone like Spectre Performance and see if you can get some of the rubber trim strips they use on their airboxes- it should be a bit more professional looking. I plan on cutting a hole in the bottom of the box and run some ducting for a ram air effect. GOOD JOB.

 

good to know, i was leaning more towards getting rid of that stuff but for now im just getting ideas, thanks for the input

thanks for the comment micktroup.

Im also looking at making a small version of the transam vent(2nd gen i believe) and hooking up a light or something to that effect to stay legal. the vent would be mainly to deflect water from entering the airbox directly.

keep the opinions coming guys

 

honestly, i think its kinda neat. i actually like it. i have an slp cold air, and it looks quite boring. it is designed alot like yours, but i love your "see-through" lexan box. the glowing neon is arguable.

 

I like the idea, and it's good ya got this far. A little more "polish" to make it more professional looking and it would be really sweet.

 

i have next week off from school and im also pulling the hood to prime. while im at it im gonna put the battery in the hatch, and start fab on the final airbox. The LED light was more just to see what it looks like. gave some measurements to my pops and hopefully he brings some materials home.

will keep you guys updated, in the meantime, keep those opinions coming.
feel free to throw some ideas in there if you wish

 

bump.

more opinions guys!

tell me what you like/dislike, or what you would like to see in there.

 

If you knew how to fiberglass/mold, i'd recommending making a designed box to directly fit in and buy parts from online or advance and start selling these. They offer these types of setups on the new 5th gen camaro and they sell quite well. I think this is great; now for #'s and tempature difference would be another idea to add.

Just to see if its "Just for looks" or "performance mod"

 

Throttle is slightly more responsive and with the top on the airbox it runs 15-20 degrees cooler.

When I first made the box, i didnt make the top and there was about an inch and a half gap from the top to the hood, so it still pulled engine bay air and ran about the same temp.

However, as soon as i pulled the side marker out and made the top for it there is a noticeable difference on the temp gauge.

Next time i take it for a drive i will run it with the computer attached and get average intake temps from driving/stopped temps and post them up.

 

I gotta say at first I was like tuner wannabe(no offense) but then I looked a little closer and saw that it does have some potential and you are saying it drops the temp of the engine? That's good results. I have often thought of running some kind of ducts from down in the grill area but would that be too much tubing? If you could do a dual down to behind the grill kinda that might help even more. Not blocking too much of the radiator of course but somewhere down there where a lot of good cool air is coming in ya know? Anyway, not too bad man.

 

Ask and you shall recieve
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/auto...-air-pics.html

No offense taken, I do know what you mean though. It seems like almost every import has the aluminum pipe, But they aren't for just imports.

only bad thing about the ram air that i see on that thread is the rain factor, but it seems they really dont have a problem with them. just make sure you put a grill in front so you dont suck up small animals/objects while driving, lol.

 

Inspiring at the least. Ive mentally pieced together cold air intakes for both my vehicles. So you couldnt clost the gap between the hood and the box? Id reccomend a lazy s curve in your "ram air" tube to minimize splashing water reaching your air filter.

 

Well i could have by making the sides taller to meet the top, but had already cut the mat to size. There isn't a "ram air" tube, it just pulls the air from under the battery tray, the side marker and behind the headlights. behind the headlights has alot of obstruction in there, breaking up most of the water. and if it starts raining, i can put the side marker back in until i enlarge the opening and make a vent with a deflector.

 

Ok guys, it's been awhile but I finally started on the fabrication on the permanent air box.

The particle board I'm using in the pics are not what I'm making it out of, just using them as templates so I can tweak things for the final pieces of Lexan.

The tubing you see will be coming through the bottom of the battery tray, and the Lexan. And it will be in the left grille vent to pull fresh air.

Thinking about poking small holes in the back of the first bend, so any water will go back out of the intake tube.

The only downside of this design is that it has to be put together inside the car; It's too big to put it together then put it in. So I will be putting it in piece by piece and sealing it with silicone. The top will be removable to change/clean the air filter.

Using an Intake routing tube I got off Ebay,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLUE-MULTI-F...item3f12a470c1

Here is some pics, starting on cutting the lexan tomorrow, This is what I got done today.

 

And one more.

Whatcha think?

 

Here is the template pieces I made from particle board laid out on the Lexan.
As soon as I finish painting the car I will assemble the airbox.

I need to punch a 3 inch hole in the bottom of the battery tray, It currently has a 2 inch hole in it. Looked a couple places for a 3 inch hole saw and no luck.

Any ideas?

Edit; pic won't post, will try later.

 

One possibility is a technique we used to use in college when making models etc. Sculpt or shape the box out of polystyrene, either a block or sheets glued together. Then, fiberglass the outside. You can then desolve the styrene with acetone and you have a fiberglass box. Then just cut your openings and drill you mounting holes, paint and install.

 

Well here are some more pics for you.
Picked up some stuff from lowes to do the RA tube.

I shortened the top of the sides of the box, which now makes it a removable airbox, took some manipulation but its in the car now and MAN HOLY CRAP!

I have yet to run the car on the street to see how it does, which will probably be monday cause thats when I reinstate my ins and get my PBA plate back, then get my alignment and new tires mounted.

Will keep updating and will post the last pics when I figure out the hold down for the top. I know what I'm going to do for it, but still trying to figure out how. Its gonna be 2 threaded rods with wingnuts.

 

Couple more

 

question with all these custom air intakes?

are the stock intakes restricted that much, I mean they get cold air right from the front of the car. How much colder can you get.?

it is also a ram effect where it feeds the air right to the engine?

I'm not convinced.

 

First, the first intake in this thread was a rough draft.
Second, I never said anything about the stock intake.
Third, my car had a filter on the MAF, not the snorkel intake.
And Fourth, Yes it is RA.

The duct runs from the left grille vent to the bottom of the airbox, using a register box for HVAC systems, and a routing tube. The air filter "floats" in the middle of the airbox.

The car pulls more at higher speeds, and also is quicker overall than before the finished intake was installed.

Is it better than the stock intake? I don't know, I just know I didn't have a stock intake to begin with.

So what convincing do you need sir? lol

Will update with a finished, in the car pic tomorrow

 

Looks good, I just cut out the driver's battery tray and said forget a box...

 

I was gonna say "Oh a little poor man's intake, that's nice.", but then I saw the pic of it lit up and now I say, SWEEEEEEET!


P.S. Kerplunk, where'd you get that sexy alternator?

 

I got it from Jegs, I think proform makes it? its a 1 wire

 

Well here is the intake box completed; When I get on the throttle, the box seals itself. I tucked a piece of fuel line under the fender lip to hold the lid down on that side. Only sticks up a little on the corner, but like I said, it seals when I'm on the gas.

I can definitively say it pulls more at higher speed, so IMO it's a RA intake.

I'd like to get someone with a snorkle intake equipped 2.8 so I can plug my computer into both and get definate numbers to post back.

I'm in central FL and hang out in the Southeast region threads.

Questions, Comments?

 

Thanks, Still don't know if I'm gonna stick a blue neon in it or not, but probably putting a K&N sticker back on it like I did on the prototype intake in the beginning of this thread

 

its a 2.8.the stock air intake is too much air for it.

 

I love it. Nice job. Any Ram Air is normally to much for most engines but ignore the na sayers as thats one cool box and I for one am glad you took the time to share your mod with us. How does it sound when you get on it. Thanks for sharing.

 

Got some numbers for you all.

I know I know, I said I was gonna have numbers like a year ago, I had them written down and misplaced them. Plus I wanted to wait till I finished the intake anyway.

With an outside temp of 90 degrees
Manifold Air temp BEFORE - 86.3 Degrees
Manifold Air temp AFTER - 76.6 Degrees

Same outside temp, 180 Degree T-stat, two core all-aluminum rad, cooling fan set to come on at 190 degrees, and aftermarket trans cooler, in series with the built in trans cooler in the rad, all that was in the car for both sets of numbers.
Coolant Temp BEFORE - 183.2 Degrees
Coolant Temp AFTER - 181.6 Degrees

Above numbers were taken cruising in 4th gear @ 60mph
When I feel up to it, I'll take numbers at 100mph, not on public streets.

Here is another

MAF BEFORE - 104gr/sec @ WOT redline/2nd gear, +/- 4gr/sec
MAF AFTER - 114gr/sec @ WOT redline/2nd gear, +/- 3gr/sec

All numbers were taken with an AutoXray computer with the GM plug in.
Questions? Comments? Let me know

 

FYI the 3 inch tube wasn't enough, car went rich all the time.
Upgraded to 5 inch tube and now it will lean out more and doesnt drink gas like it did with the 3inch tube.

 

Bump.

 

Why are you bumping?

 

You're trying to tell me that your manifold temps are colder than the ambient air temp?

 

thats what the computer said, no idea if it was right or not, i just copied what was on screen..
humidity, clouds, someplace that had just rained? i have no idea, all i know is those are the numbers i got from my autoxray in monitor mode

 

I will tell you one thing, my UIM used to burn my hand after driving when I touched it (filter on MAF). Now its COOL almost COLD to the touch after driving no matter what the outside air temp is.

 

me too lol second that, works great