I am new to modding and have like no money due to two new cars. This being said why do I need to pay like $200 bucks for an intake? What is wrong with getting a cheap one? My friend was looking for stuff for her civic and we found one for like 30 bucks. I understand they probably have different diameters, but is there something else I'm missing?

 

if you get one either get

injen ( short ram and cai adapter)
secret weapon r (short ram)
maximum boost ( ? i think has one) (short ram and cai i think)

best quality and best performance.

i personally recomend the secret weapon r. but its all in what you like

 

I couldn't find the secret weapon for cobalts, am i blind, plus its still almost 200

 

u get what you pay for.

 

This is kind of a pet peeve of mine. You start by saying you don't have any money. Then here's a thought, don't spend any more on an air intake that you don't really need. Maybe spend that money on, oh, I don't know, the power bill, or maybe food?

I for one completely understand the desire to tinker with our toys. But if you are going to do it the cheapest possible way you can just to say that you have a "custom" part, then you are really just fooling yourself.

 

I do have money for power bills and such, and I'm not interested in saying i have custom crap, i would just rather spend the 30 than the 250 if it is similar, just trying to learn. sorry if it bothers you. I'm just asking what the difference is between this metal tube with a filter on it and this metal tube. I hate to plead ignorance, but that is the truth. a person is truly ignorant until they learn the answer. I am truly not trying to upset you, I was just curious

 

Get a CAI you will like it better then shourt ram. One tube will flow as good as another if same size. The big difference is with the filters, how well the tub fits in car, and sound and looks.

 

in reality the gains found from a low end vs a high end intake are minimal

what you are paying for is quality...

with the cheaper intake you will get a shitty generic filter, your intake may not fit in the engine bay correctly and you may be missing things such as an IAT sensor or MAF.

With the more expensive intake you should have better all around quality. Thats what you are paying for...if u wanna get a cheapo intake and then buy a K&N thats an option as well. But if you have a new car why put crap parts on it? I'm not saying spend $300 on a Secret Weapon but you can do better than a $30 intake. Buy something with some quality thats proven, tried and true.

 

Thank you, thats all I was asking

 

you need to buy an intake that will incorporate the stock maf sensor and not throw a cel.... These cars are very picky about the maf placement so goodluck trying to rig one up.

 

dont forget that all the parts for a cobalt are going to be priced out the ass right now because it's such a new car. It's all about supply and demand.

Example1 : Cobalt. First year of production 2005. Therefore the demand would be high which = High cost and not many manufacturers.

Example2 : Civic. First year of production Mid 70s. Therefore the demand would be lower which = Low cost and many manufacturers.

 

no you dont
i know a lot of people using homemade or custom made intakes in their high performance cars

you pay for quality, and a brand name
but you can make your own CAI thats identical to the AEM for less than $50, just no logo

 

Yes he is right, I am in the process of making my own CAI for my 05 cobalt ss right now. I am going to move the tank that holds the coolant to the big open spot to the left of the engine. And then make a homemade or pre-bend housing from autozone to come out of the blower and curve up where the coolant was, and put a universal k&n on it. Ill take aome pics and try to put it on the How To.

 

Really i understand what your saying but with a new car your better of getting quality parts.

Yeah cheap generic brands are ok for some things, but for parts that hook up to the engine or have to do with the performance of your vehicle your better off spending more for the quality.

 

I wondered that same question a few years back, and once the intake arrived I realized why the more expensive is a better choice. The holes for sensors weren't there, the metal on the tubing was very thin, and the filter looked like an even cheaper generic version of the autozone filter. You kinda have to weigh out the options, I'm not saying $200 isn't alot for a metal pipe and filter, but these companies that establish good product quality and show performance gains have a lot of money invested just to make sure the part is right. Just my .02.

 

all i gotta say is 3 words. MAKE YOUR OWN. i did and its well worth it. my friend took it off a 95 civic and it works like wonders. love the sound....ill post pics when i get home.

 

Lol My neon had a pvc intake ...With a k+n filter mu ha ha....And today some saturn had a leaf blower..rigged as an "electric supercharger" its going to the dyno at some point lol...but you actually can tell a difference is the sad thing lol