intake comparison?

[itsaprothing]

I was looking to get a short ram or CAI and I came across two options, they're both short ram but they're still choices

 

MSA has a cold air induction system for 129.95

 

and ebay has the same thing for around 60 including the shipping with a K&N air filter

 

I know intakes are simple and a lot of people make their own but i'm just trying to look for something to bolt on

 

are there any significant differences between the two? or is MSA just charging more because they can?

 

and please give me feedback from personal experience, there's usually a lot of hearsay or thrashing on ebay or the little chinese kids who make the products that are sold on ebay, I just want to hear what you guys went with and how good or bad it performs

 

thanks,

[BanditJ]

I have the MSA intake. It's a little pricey but I think that if you ever have any problems with anything you'll probably be taken care of by MSA. At least that is my gut instinct because I've yet to have a problem with them.

 

Since you are in CA I'd suggest you keep your old intake just in case. I think it's technically not legal in California to change that out but the cars are so old maybe the smoggers won't notice.

[nbesheer]

the thing I don't like about my MSA is that the arm that bolts to the radiator frame, on mine at least, bolts into a plastic "nut" which is not very secure so I had another arm thing welded on to make it more secure.

[Gollum]

Well, there's basically 3 intakes out there.

 

280Z with individual runners

 

280ZX with webbed runners

 

280ZX Turbo same as regular 280ZX but with a few extra fittings.

 

 

Oh.... you're talking about intake piping and filters... not intakes.

 

 

In that case I'd suggest just making something yourself. This isn't rocket science (at least until you reach the 9's, then I guess it IS rocket science). Get a pipe that's the correct diameter and goes to the correct point to fit through the firewall, and get clamps for the pipe to the throttle body, and the pipe to the filter.

 

Might not be as pretty, but I guarentee there won't be a noticable difference in power between that and anything some company would try to gimmick you into buying.

[freakshow]

I bought a piece of plastic flex tubing, and a big ass filter, dropped the filter in front of radiator, and put a piece of plastic on one side, the flex tubing makes it s i can tuck the filter behind the plastic if it starts raining, so idont have to worry about sucking in water, looks ghetto, but works great, and cost me a total of $30, 10 for the pipe and 20 for the filter.

[roger.svoboda]

I bought an exhaust 90 brazed a flat iron brace 1/8x1/2 and took it down to a bolt below the radiator. Grind it nice paint with spray can. K&N filter. Cost me like $50 bucks. Plastic with a wide radius waste elbow would work also and cheaper but maybe more work to paint and brace.

[Tony D]

Scratch and dent stuff is usually available cheap. Many of the ricer parts sold for Hondas at Auto Zone and Pep Boys are easily hacked up to fit a Z as well. I took mine off and reinstalled the stock filter housing with a K&N filter in it because the Open-Element CAI simply was too damn noisy...constant hissssssssss-ing. Frankly, my G-Tech and 1/4 Mile Times didn't show any loss after putting it back to 'stock' with the K&N aftermarket filter element in it. So I guess if you want something to do, you can replace it, but from my testing I didn't see any improvement in anything, and a definate detraction in additional noise.

 

Speaking as someone who works in and around factory environments in Mainland China, don't be quick to dismiss the 'trashing' people do regarding who makes what or how in China... Unless you have seen it firsthand, a lot of the stories would sound 'made up', & wouldn't believe conditions if told simply because the frame of reference is so foreign to western ways of thinking. Conditions given to the same western minds during the industrial revolution of the 1800's though...would think the conditions 'progressive'.