I'm pretty new to car modifications and I only have a basic understanding of everything. I have a 2001 Accord EX (4cyl. vtec) and I'm looking for the best way to increase horsepower (and of course better sound) without spending too much money. I've been looking at cold air intakes like the AEM V2, but I'm concerned about water ingestion. Is there a big enough difference between cold air and short ram that 100 dollars plus the 50 dollar bypass valve are worth it? Maybe I'm missing a different performance part that would be a better fit? Any help is appreciated.

Edit: By the way, my car is unfortunately an automatic.

 

Tom,

Having had two cars with CAI's and two with Short Ram's I'll offer my opinion.

First of all I've yet to have a CAI that would have injested any water unless the front bumper had been submerged.
Second, the gain is better with a Cold Air Intake but only marginally. I don't feel it is worth the extra money, others will disagree.
When it comes time to clean the filter with a CAI (they get filthy quicker than you think) it can be a genuine bear depending on the vehicle.

The cleaning and oiling (depending on filter brand) can take less than an hour but getting to the filter can take that long or more. It may require the use of ramps, jacks, tire removal, inner fender, etc. etc. Note, I said MAY require.

You are on the right track.... intake & exhaust can always be improved upon. Use the extra $150 for exhaust work.
OH! One more thing..........


[IMG]local://upfiles/127/71A733B866EC4BAA826B0572B6EDF324.gif[/IMG]

 

^^^ agree...ebay sri intake wit k&n filter work great, juss make sure the pipe is 3in or at least 2.75, i dun see the pt of gettin brand name like aem unless u want to keep it street legal, and the v2 isnt carb legal yet, is that correct?

 

The help is really appreciated. I thought AEM may have been claiming a little much when saying their intakes could give a 1-3HP difference than competitors. Last question, will the difference in intakes be large enough to notice? I'm shooting to spend more money on some headers and a new cat-back system, but moneys tight for now. Thanks again.

 

no, not really, it sound nice thats all, unless u have serious mods, u wont notice the different...i/h/e would be good start, if i were u, save it up for either n/a or boost, but i heard accord engine is good for boost...might wanna consider into that

 

the best bang for your buck is the 30 dollar shorty intake on ebay. you will seriously notice it, and i mean big time. the first time you stomp on the gas your going to be addicted, i promise you your gas mileage will go down to about 15 just because you are mashing it that much. with a shorty, when your on vtec it will downright raise the hair on the back of your neck. your car will sound so mean, you ***** will gain about 5 pounds, youll think about taking on a z28 camaro.

lightshow

 

lmao

 

I chose AEM for my car. It has a solid reputation as a well made unit, CARB approved, and uses the new dry filter. Rather than the old clean and oil mess, you simply wash it in a bucket with AEM's cleaner and let it dry.

 

yea, aem is ok if u plan to keep the car street legal, honestly, they are juss the same as ebay pipe and k&n filter, yet half the price of aem...if the car dun have much mods, such as exhaust and header, i think intake is really waste of gas lol

 

Yeah, I'm starting to think I should save up and do it all: intake, headers, and a cat-back. It may be awhile before I can get that money but I'll be on the lookout for good deals I guess. Thanks for all the replies.