First thread: impala ss

thecog · 08-31-2005, 09:59 PM

Alright now. This is my first time on these boards. So I'm going to start it off with a question arisen from the current gasoline crisis.

I scoped out some options for a cold air intake on my '96 Impala SS. Survey says: 242 dollars for a K&N Cold air intake. Not gonna lie: I can't afford that. I'm a poor broke college student. This defeats my reason for getting the damned thing. SOOOO........ my next option is Home Depot.

Anyone have any suggestions for building a cold air intake for an LT1 Impala?

**midnight-Z28** · 09-01-2005, 06:22 AM

I have seen ones made from PVC pipe and a Cone filter you just need the right size and the right bend to do it.

**BIG D's SS** · 09-01-2005, 06:24 AM

Gotta do what you have to get what you want.

**Breech** · 09-01-2005, 12:45 PM

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother. I've said it on here before, CAIs are one of the most overrated aftermarket parts available. Really, there is no such thing as "cold air induction" as you are just sucking air from either outside the engine compartment (whatever the temp may be) or from inside of it (hot!!). Not to mention that the air is gonna travel through a pretty hot intake manifold anyways. What a CAI does do is eliminate some of the restriction of the factory air induction, which I don't believe is all that super restrictive anyways, and allow you to suck a little more air at higher rpm's. It also usually exposes the filter to the elements and places it where it will get much dirtier, much faster. I could see using one if you were building a drag car where you need every single horsepower but I don't see it worth $200+ on a street car. I don't know of anyone who has dyno'd their car with only a CAI to get before and after numbers but I'm willing to bet you might see 2-3 hp at the wheels and that's being optomistic. I simply dropped in a K&N style filter in my factory airbox and I don't run any better or any worse than my friends with similar mods and CAI. Think I got my Holley Powershot filter on ebay for like $25 bucks shipped. Might be something to look at while your budget's tight. When you have money to burn slap on a CAI and see if you notice any difference

DisCrete · 09-01-2005, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by thecog

Alright now. This is my first time on these boards. So I'm going to start it off with a question arisen from the current gasoline crisis.

I scoped out some options for a cold air intake on my '96 Impala SS. Survey says: 242 dollars for a K&N Cold air intake. Not gonna lie: I can't afford that. I'm a poor broke college student. This defeats my reason for getting the damned thing. SOOOO........ my next option is Home Depot.

Anyone have any suggestions for building a cold air intake for an LT1 Impala?

Survey is incorrect... if you look.. you can get it for $190

DisCrete · 09-01-2005, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Breech

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother. I've said it on here before, CAIs are one of the most overrated aftermarket parts available. Really, there is no such thing as "cold air induction" as you are just sucking air from either outside the engine compartment (whatever the temp may be) or from inside of it (hot!!). Not to mention that the air is gonna travel through a pretty hot intake manifold anyways. What a CAI does do is eliminate some of the restriction of the factory air induction, which I don't believe is all that super restrictive anyways, and allow you to suck a little more air at higher rpm's. It also usually exposes the filter to the elements and places it where it will get much dirtier, much faster. I could see using one if you were building a drag car where you need every single horsepower but I don't see it worth $200+ on a street car. I don't know of anyone who has dyno'd their car with only a CAI to get before and after numbers but I'm willing to bet you might see 2-3 hp at the wheels and that's being optomistic. I simply dropped in a K&N style filter in my factory airbox and I don't run any better or any worse than my friends with similar mods and CAI. Think I got my Holley Powershot filter on ebay for like $25 bucks shipped. Might be something to look at while your budget's tight. When you have money to burn slap on a CAI and see if you notice any difference

K n N cold air.. 10-15hp... probably 5-7 at the rear. (being modest it's actually close to 10% of your engine's hp so probably closer to 20hp)

throw in a chip another $200 another 30hp + or -

throw in headers another 30hp + or -

throw in flowmaster exhaust another 10hp + or - (unsure about the gain here)

right now your up to close to 340hp on a stock LT1 engine.. with under $2000 spent.

Depends how far you want to go

thecog · 09-01-2005, 08:58 PM

I've heard a lot of that before. A CAI is supposed to provide you with a 10-15% gain. I don't have 200 to drop on it. Unfortunately, performance, thanks to gas prices and my budget (teamwork there), is not my first aim. It's gas mileage, and that's not too impressive on a 4000 lb car powered by an LT1. Theoretically, though, any gain in power from air is a comparable gain in efficiency.

"What a CAI does do is eliminate some of the restriction of the factory air induction"

It also lets you suck in colder air, which is denser, providing more oxygen for combustion. This of course implies a more powerful explosion.

I'm just kind of curious as to what I need to know in order to make this thing.

**Breech** · 09-01-2005, 11:02 PM

If you do a google search I'm sure that you can find others that can list exactly what you need. You will need the correct diameter and length pvc pipe, a couple of fittings and clamps, and a filter. I think that most people spend about $45-$50 (including filter) on average to home fab a kit. As I said before though, the air that you will draw from this intake will be no "colder" or denser than what you are currently getting through your factory airbox. Your gonna be pulling air from either the engine compartment or the underside of the car.

Discrete, I can guarantee you won't see 5-7 hp at the wheels from a "filter relocation kit". Remember that when these companies advertise gains what they don't tell you is the dyno is done in a controlled environment on a motor that has no accesories, probably headers, and a tune. With all of that and their CAI, yeah, then I can see a 15-20 hp gain. Don't be a tool and believe everything that these companies publish. If you think that a bent piece of plastic and a filter is worth $200 then go ahead and slap one on there. I'm sure your et's will drop .2-.3 of a second right

**5.0THIS** · 09-01-2005, 11:40 PM

I'd just save your money and go for a K&N when you can...

**Grimpala** · 09-02-2005, 12:14 AM

Get a piece of 3" pvc and a sewer coupling. Take a hockey puck and put it in the hole where your homeplate went and use a hose clamp to secure it, then put the pvc in place of your first base and use the sewer coupling to connect it to the MAF. Then take a large hole saw 1" or so and swiss cheese the bottom of your airbox. This mod works wonders for performance over the stock setup and is cheap as hell to make. Paint the pvc a shiney color and you're good to go.

thecog · 09-10-2005, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by Grimpala

Get a piece of 3" pvc and a sewer coupling. Take a hockey puck and put it in the hole where your homeplate went and use a hose clamp to secure it, then put the pvc in place of your first base and use the sewer coupling to connect it to the MAF. Then take a large hole saw 1" or so and swiss cheese the bottom of your airbox. This mod works wonders for performance over the stock setup and is cheap as hell to make. Paint the pvc a shiney color and you're good to go.

Awesome. This is something I was looking for.

Thanks a lot.

Now to sound a bit like an idiot, first base and homeplate?

CarToySS · 09-13-2005, 09:49 AM

"Now to sound a bit like an idiot, first base and homeplate?"

Not at all...

Homeplate is that big V shaped plastic object sitting on top of the motor,
first base is the smaller square plastic box between MAF and TB elbow.

When you do the "home depot" intake, you delete both and use a hockey
puck to plug the elbow hole.

Dave.

thecog · 09-21-2005, 10:35 AM

Awesome thanks man. I looked at that Impala manual too. That was helpful. I hadn't thought of a doing some of that. Good ideas much appreciated.

DisCrete · 09-21-2005, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by CarToySS

"Now to sound a bit like an idiot, first base and homeplate?"

Not at all...

Homeplate is that big V shaped plastic object sitting on top of the motor,
first base is the smaller square plastic box between MAF and TB elbow.

When you do the "home depot" intake, you delete both and use a hockey
puck to plug the elbow hole.

Dave.

Haha!! I was wondering how people did that... I swear I'm gonna try that

**fredg369** · 09-27-2005, 06:26 PM

Just go on ebay and get one of the non-name brands that have a K&N filter.They go for about $40 or $50 dollars.I would not go tracking down parts at home depot...waste of time.Good Luck