RealDealZ28

I have a Suncoast creations hood on the way, but I didn't order the airbox. I've been noticing that a lot of people run cold air intakes on their LT1 cars. What's the difference between buying the SS hood airbox and getting a regular CAI? Which will free up more horsepower? There sure is a difference in price. Suncoast quoted me $300 for the airbox, I've looked around and found CAI's for $170. Which will benefit me more in the long run, or am I just wasting my time even considering this mod?

z28marine

the SS airbox from what ive read on here should give you no gains whatsoever...any performance gains you do get would either A. Be on a really cold day, or B. when you are on the freeway going pretty fast...its not worth the money from what ive seen

carlos64030

Where is the ram air box located for the Suncoast hood, does it sit on top of the intake, or is the placement in front of the intake like the factory WS6 setup? If the air box sits on top of the intake, go with the c.a.i.

RealDealZ28

From what I can tell from the suncoast website pictures, the SS sits on top of the intake.

Xride

read on here where?

there will be no noticable difference in CAI or "ram air" both are sucking colder outside air.
I used an electronic thermometer with a probe and put in inside the track just after the MAF, the temp it read when moving was 1 dregree from the air outside.

both setup are CAI.

drewstealth

As far as i have seen the CAI's are just as good if not a little bit better then the SS hood. You probably wouldn't notice any difference and its not worth the extra money imo to get the functional Ram air.

97firechicken

i had CAI then i go a suncoast hood and an air box and i know that mine flows a lot more air now. i bet even if you were going slow that it would draw more air than the CAI. I held a cigarette in front of inlets of the ram air hood and it drew in the smoke and that was at a stand still.

drewstealth

yeah but if you held a cigarette near the cai it would do the same. I remember seeing a dyno graph a while back where the guy gained 2 hp with the cai over the ram air hood. But i don't know what system he had and what he went too after that.

Jay-Roll

Yeah I've heard of people who own SS's opt for a CAI and just remove the airbox. Supposedly the CAI is a little better unless high speed is involved. Don't have any data to back that up though.

LanceJoker

This debate has been on here a bunch of times.One time in particular a guy brought dynos to the table of his car with both CIA and SS Airbox.They were exactly the same as I remember.As for heatsoak,the air isn't in the intake box long enough to be affected by sitting on top of the manifold.I have the SS airbox on my 95.In my opinon,it looks much better than any CIA.

Sandman_97Z

Look...anyone with an SS will swear that SS is the same as CAI, if not better.

Fact is, its just not true....from purely an airflow standpoint, the 360* turn the air must follow with the SS (on top of the intake manifold) setup is too far, too narrow, with too many turns to provide good a airflow path. Also, heat rises. As the air is taking that 360* journey, its being heated up in its tube sitting right above a nice hot engine.

The CAI setup has far fewer turns, and is below the heat of the engine.

Having an actual functional hood is cool and all, but actual Ram Air is fake and a myth

As for the dyno numbers, different conditions are going to produce different results with both setups....I'd rather not pay double the cash fora setup thats theoretically worse, and according to one guys dyno #s, is supposedly actually the same as a plain old cheap CAI.

Go with the CAI....even if for the simple fact that its cheaper.

LanceJoker

I picked up my SS airbox for 50 bucks.Also,far less turns on a CIA setup???Since when is 1 less= to far less??I don't think people with the SS setup swear it's better.Just about the same.And finally I love the way you put "theoritically worse".No proof(such as a dyno).Just theoretically.LOL

Sandman_97Z

Congrats on that great deal you got on a less efficient setup....**** you can make your own CAI for less than $20 if you wanted to....

And like I said....you have the SS setup, so you say its just as good. Weird.

Its not about the number of "turns", per se... its about the FLOW.

And yes there is proof....its called laws of fluid dynamics....talk to me when you've studied them.

LanceJoker

LOL.I've had both and I noticed no difference in the two.Geez man,if you don't believe a dyno that what do you believe.Talk to me when you've studied cars,not fluid dynamics.See these things called dyno's measure horsepower and torque.And when they say two things produce the same results,nobody cares what the fluid dynamics say about it.

Sandman_97Z

I've probably actually studied more of both than you know, but that doesnt matter....you've studied other peoples' cars on the internet!! You must be right....I concede.

Keep on thinking what you like....**** you probably think Ram Air is real too....

I am done.