I made my own CIA for $55. 3.8L/Auto (Looks factory)

[HotWhip402]

I was pissed at how much the aftermarket intakes cost so I made my own. All parts could be found at Autozone.

$25
Spectre air filter #8138


$20
3" Spectre black flexible tubing #8741
Comes with 2 silicone couplers. I had extra 3" stainless steel worm clamps
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg


$10
Spectre 3" OD 4" long tube #8708 (I painted mine satin black)



I had to hack off the stock air box after the MAF sensor. To get as much as I could I cut is as close to the box as possible. Once cut I had at least a 1/2", but it wasn't round. I pulled out my torch and heated up the plastic and molded it round. then I was able to sand it down smoothly and shove it in the "3 OD tube. Then connected the flexible tubing and snaked it down exactly like the aftermarket systems do by the fog light. I made some mounting brackets for the air filter and I was done! I didn't take a pic of that though. No engine lights or nothing! I have a noticeable increase in throttle response and low end torque. I gained a few MPGs also!






Oh yea, I took off that baffle on the factory rubber tube and used a piece of plastic I cut and glued it to the hole and wrapped it in black electrical tape. No the tape doesn't get all sticky and nasty. It looks legit. I'm picky.

[johnygezony]

In Before The Flame :D

[carl3g]

Do us a favor and report back in mid summer ;-) Im curious to see how that piping holds up.

[wetamup2k3g]

More power to you, not my cup of tea though. I like the way the stock one looks more, less ridges to hamper airflow:


Just my own opinion though, as long as it makes you happy, who cares.

[dknight3]

what you never heard of ebay or something?

[master_visionary]

Hey man you from Omaha?

[pinoyesv6]

In Before The Flame :D

what flame??

to the OP. looks like a great start. how is all the piping being supported?

[finald8ta]

Wow look at that empty void where the old air box was.

Great start till you deside to dress up the engine bay.

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[G-code88]

I think its very creative

[Skyforger]

No bad, just curious though, why not use smooth pipping?

[HotWhip402]

In Before The Flame :D

Do us a favor and report back in mid summer ;-) Im curious to see how that piping holds up.

I've had it this way for over a year. That piping is actually a really strong plastic. It's away from anything hot anyways. I was bored and decided to join here and be helpful.

More power to you, not my cup of tea though. I like the way the stock one looks more, less ridges to hamper airflow:


Just my own opinion though, as long as it makes you happy, who cares.

I'm happy. I do like the stock look, but see that little slit in the metal? That's where most of your air comes from. It goes through the grill and up through that. The hood and bumper are basically sealed with that weatherstripping. The car is breathing through a straw IMO.

what you never heard of ebay or something?

Yea, and they are like $225 at the cheapest. From what I've read on here, only the CAI from the 4th gen V6 AUTOMATIC Eclipse will fit properly. I've seen a real cheap CAI for a MANUAL for $75 with a crappy filter.

Hey man you from Omaha?

Texas

what flame??

to the OP. looks like a great start. how is all the piping being supported?

Thanks. The piping is strong enough on its own and light weight. It has just enough room to fit through some opening. Its supported by the the filter that is stable with the brackets I used.

Wow look at that empty void where the old air box was.

Great start till you deside to dress up the engine bay.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

Yea, but it's my daily driver. I could make a nice shield to put underneath and hide the transmission, but no thanks. What's the difference if I had bought a shiny metal CIA? Nothing....

I think its very creative

Thank you. I try.

Not bad, just curious though, why not use smooth pipping?

Good question. For one, they don't make smooth flexible piping that I know of. At least not cheaply if they do I'm sure. I also didn't want to buy a bunch of plastic chrome piping sections for like $10 a piece and try to make it snake the way I needed it to. It would cost more and look really tacky. My goal was to make it look basically stock and functional and that's exactly what the tube I got does. The LITTLE difference smooth piping would make was negligible to me.

[HotWhip402]

And for those who think I don't care about looks. I did that on purpose for my Galant. Like I said. Cheap, functional and stockish looking. It's my daily driver. I keep it simple. It's got some decent 19" wheels and a killer audio system. It serves its purpose well. I love it.



This is my other car....a real toy.





My Trans Am gets all my car money obviously. It has a 402ci motor pushing 540 HP to the rear wheels. 6 speed FTW.

[Gotti]

Nice. A cheap and almost free alternative way is keeping the stock box but cut a hole at the pipe that connected to the air box.
Probably when it not raining maybe i will take a pic of my custom cold air short ram.

[Skyforger]

And for those who think I don't care about looks. I did that on purpose for my Galant. Like I said. Cheap, functional and stockish looking. It's my daily driver. I keep it simple. It's got some decent 19" wheels and a killer audio system. It serves its purpose well. I love it.



This is my other car....a real toy.





My Trans Am gets all my car money obviously. It has a 402ci motor pushing 540 HP to the rear wheels. 6 speed FTW.

Holy shit. Slick looking Trans Am. What's done, engine wise?

[HotWhip402]

Holy shit. Slick looking Trans Am. What's done, engine wise?

Thanks. Well its a LS2 based 402, all aluminum. 6.6 liters naturally aspirated. It has all the expensive goodies. Put this in perspective, the intake (painted silver) and throttle body cost $1300. The 1 7/8" stainless steel headers are $1100. You don't even want to know what the forged short block and heads cost. That clear lid cost as much as a CAI for our cars, and I don't mean the $55 one I made. It has a pretty mean cam, but completely streetable. I built the motor back in 2007 with all the best parts out their at the time. Now they have better stuff I'd like to upgrade in the future.

[Skyforger]

A stroked LS2, sweet.

Ever taken it to the track?

[wetamup2k3g]

I'm happy. I do like the stock look, but see that little slit in the metal? That's where most of your air comes from. It goes through the grill and up through that. The hood and bumper are basically sealed with that weatherstripping. The car is breathing through a straw IMO.

I see. My thin tube was missing from mine when I bought my car, so I haven't missed it:


And the electrical tape over the hole left by the resonator, I did that too (not by choice though, my resonator fell off):



Now about this Trans-Am, there's a thread in the Other Vehicles forum here about domestics, started by Skyforger IIRC, go there and post moar pics and specs, because it's rather dope.

[bgood12]

Nice job, if you go get a manometer of magnehelic gauge you can site the intake at a better lower pressure but goof job sir. I had a cai but it broke so I took a v6 airbox and put that in. Cai intake get tooo dirty for my tastes so I went to bigger stock one

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[HotWhip402]

A stroked LS2, sweet.

Ever taken it to the track?

Once. The rear end is stock right now and weak. I babied it off the line. Still managed a 11.4 at 122. I was kicked out afterwards because I needed a cage to run it again that fast. LOL Other cars with my power with a proper rear end and slicks run in the 10's. Can run 9's on spray! My goal one day. My car does have a 6 pt cage, racing seats, harnesses and it is mini tubed for some fat slicks now. I'm half way there!

Now about this Trans-Am, there's a thread in the Other Vehicles forum here about domestics, started by Skyforger IIRC, go there and post moar pics and specs, because it's rather dope.

I couldn't find said thread.

[Skyforger]

Here ya go:

https://www.thegalantcenter.org/showthread.php?t=47096