Is there really much of a seat of pants difference with a new intake. If so, at what stage? Have had Revo and new DV(which seems a waste).
I understand the concept but wonder how expensive a mod is needed. Will I get nearly the same results from a simple K&N swap than a full airbox mod kit? Difference is nearly $300. I do not race but I do enjoy a good midrange.

 

With a chip (even without) you'll see an improvement by freeing up the intake. Check out the TTDA from ModShack.. There are many of us on Audiworld that swear by them. He also builds the VTDA that doesn't have the front feeds, but shares much of the same improved airflow. These differ from the normal CAI like Injen by insulating the intake filter from the engine compartment heat thus reducing the power loss from high temp intake temps.

 

Yes, I would highly advise an intake, especially on a turbo car. Most nicer intakes will never sound 'ricey', and make a difference that you can feel.

But there is a LOT to be said for freeing up the exhaust first... That's usually the best place to start, and in a turbo car you WILL feel quite a lot of performance gain from this.

 

I myself can't speak for the TTDA or VTDA, but I can say that even a regular cone filter has shown a slight improvement for me. I looked at the intakes on Modshack, and although they look great, I didn't see paying the money for it. I custom made an intake for my car, which is just a basic K&N cone filter that is attached to the MAP sensor. This weekend I will be installing a custom insulated heat shield that will keep the warm air coming from the engine away from the intake, but overall I have noticed a performance gain. The sound is definitly something you have to like though, as when I pass other cars then sure as heck know when I'm shifting.

I did do a before and after dyno on the car, and for about $30 I seemed to have gained about 2-4HP. I doesn't seem like much but it did seem to smooth out the power band, and it seems that spool up time has been lessened just a hair bit. I assume this is purely from the unrestrictive airflow. I'm hoping that after adding the heatshield I should be able to maintain that gain even in much warmer weather. A TTDA more then likely can beat this, but if you want to spend the time in adverse to the money you can definitly do intake yourself without many problems.

-Anthony

 

Steve Schwing claims the TTDA and the VTDA are good for about 8-10 hp, with the VTDA being the higher-flowing design.

That being said, I do believe you can successfully fabricate an intake for less than half the cost, especially if you've got a welder friend. The VTDA design (my favorite, in conjunction with upgrading the pressure feeds from front bumper) can be fairly easily fabricated...

I plan on giving it a go, just for the fun of it. I can go to a local stainless steel shop and 'source' my material from their dumpster (hopefully). If not, I'll use 2 galvanized sheets rolled into a cylinder and welded at the seams, with a bit of good insulation between them. Then, I'll insulate the inside to my liking, leaving room for adding refrigerant tubing for a later 'mist mod' that's planned. (Might even be an N-tercooler mod, fabbed for the intake as well).

Combine this with a MAF screen-delete (at your own risk!; you should know what you're doing), and maybe even an external heat shield surrounding the whole area, and I've got myself one chilly intake. Plus, I get to say that I did it