Owners of Base Vibes with Short Ram

[GlenW]

I have a 2004 Base Vibe. I'm thinking about getting a short ram intake for it, I want to know from owners of Base Vibes with a short ram intake. 1. What brand did you purchase2. How long have you had it installed.3. Have you had any problems with it.Also I cannot be converted to a CAI. I just don't want the hassle of water issues and or maintenence issues and the short ram just looks so much better. Thanks in advance for you knowledge.

[GlenW]

I've seen the K&N short ram and I seen that they have a "bag" to go over the filter to prevent water from going in the filter. Do the CAI intakes have that option?

[GlenW]

this is what I foundhttp://knfilters.com/typhoon/tthesystem.html

Attached files

[philndz]

If you are willing to play around a bit w/ it and want massive bang for your buck (I paid $40) get the Bomz Racing intake (bomzracing.com) You can find a few on ebay usually (they are blue)they are labeled as being for the GT but you can get it to fit by getting creative w/ the mounting bracket and such.I put it on my base vibe so if you need any help you can just ask....i have pics of install too.-Phil

[philndz]

I think GEO should get one of these too!

[Geo]

quote:I think GEO should get one of these too!But the K&N is so pretty in the anodized red! I plan on replacing my current intake butchery before winter, so no worries there. Once I get the money I'll figure something out.

[Hot Vibe]

quote:I've seen the K&N short ram and I seen that they have a "bag" to go over the filter to prevent water from going in the filter. Do the CAI intakes have that option?That bag is an option for any CAI system. If you are really worried about moisture then I would buy one. Your mass air flow sensor will sense to much moisture. Most of the moisture will be caught by the K&N filter. The bag that they recommend are for vehicles without hoods. For example is you have a modified old VW bug with the CAI sticking out the back. Under the hood applications should not worry about moisture. 4X4 jeeps buy the bags while slinging through mud.

[johnsoax]

After the spring and summer that we had in chicago, I am thinking about not getting a CAI because of the rain. The water was up to my rocker panels on all of the roads (we got 5" of rain in an hour). If I had a CAI, I think that I would have sucked up water.

[GlenW]

Again, I'm looking for people that actually have a short ram installed. I want to know if anyone with one of these installed are having any problems or any other issues with the long term use of one.

[philndz]

Mine is wonderful and dirt cheap $40

[Kissfan79]

How much of a difference did you notice in terms of performance? Is the performance increase noticeable and does it have the same sound that everyone keeps talking about with a CAI? Just curious. I would love to get a short RAM at that price but I have been leary of short RAMs because of what folks have said about it sucking in warm air and losing out on any hp benefit due to the warm air....even vs stock. Jim

[philndz]

quote:How much of a difference did you notice in terms of performance? Is the performance increase noticeable and does it have the same sound that everyone keeps talking about with a CAI? Just curious. I would love to get a short RAM at that price but I have been leary of short RAMs because of what folks have said about it sucking in warm air and losing out on any hp benefit due to the warm air....even vs stock. JimWell Jim, I definately noticed an increase in performance....1st gear illustrates it the best....if i was cruising at any speed in 1st and then floored it the car used to accelerate very rapidly....now there is just enough power to actually break the tires loose if i do this....so definately worth while and as far as the warm air i think someone came up w/ test data indicating that the benefit of an aftermarket air intake system is mostly from reduced restriction and not from the temperature of the air.....however i hooked up a funnel ram system that scoops from the lower grilles on the bumper and quickly routes that air to the the filter on the intake, on which i installed a custom heat shield so my air temps are lower and on top of that the air comes at the filter w/ force (at highway speeds) so its a ram-air effect at the same time!!Its very impressive and i highly reccomend it! easy on the wallet too!

[philndz]

forgot to mention.....all those CAI sounds are included w/ a short ram...from my experience the deep tone is not quite as deep upon acceleration but only a trained ear could tell the difference

[Kissfan79]

Cool...thanks. One thing I did notice myself was that after I installed my K&N drop in....the tone from that deepened a bit. I guess from the extra air flow.Jim

[GlenW]

Here is why I don't want a CAI,This is from the Injen website:"A note regarding Cold Air Intake systems and Cold Air Extensions:*Injen Technology Cold Air Intake Systems should be removed in any wet climates or on any wet roads or highways. Failure to comply with the above warnings may cause water to be absorbed into the engine through the filter causing serious damage to your motor. Injen Technology Co., Ltd. assumes no liability for damages toy your motor due to water entering your engine through the Injen intake system. Although a bypass valve may be used on most systems, it will void warranty and the C.A.R.B. EO# at this time."Sooo....I know the short ram reduces horsepower in the low end especially on warm days. So I guess I don't really know what I want. I think I will stay with the drop in K&N filter for now.

[joatmon]

There are a lot, a lot of people who have put CAIs and short rams on their Vibes and Matrixes. Nobody seems to be taking any special precautions to keep water out of the intake, regardless of the weather, and no one has posted any water intake related problems, so, it seems to me that the risk of water in the intake is pretty low. A short ram would probably put the intake at about the same height off the ground as the stock air intake. I asked a similar question about he Injen warning in a different thread and was dismissed as injen corporate CYA.I think you'd be fine with either a short ram or a CAI, and would have no water problems. However, it's your car, and it wasn't cheap, so you need to do what's best for you, regardless of what you hear on the internet.I have not installed either a CAI or a short ram, or a K&N drop in. For me, gas mileage is more important than power, and nobody has ever posted any data to verify the claims that the new intakes increase fuel efficiency. Then there's the secondary effect on fuel efficiency, if my vibe had an extra XX horsepower, then I'd use it, and my fuel efficiency would really suck. I've already spent over a grand on gas for the nine and a half months I've had my vibe. The vehicle I traded would have cost me 2500 for the same miles, so I'm happy.A couple of members have bought AEM short rams from http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=6254. when one of them installs it, we'll get some good feedback on the install and effect on performance.

[ArcsVibe]

I am one of them that purchased and installed ( yesteday! ) the AEM short ram and what can I say but.....WOW!! It really sounds great, great throaty sound on take off and it actually feels peppy! I would highly recommend it.I paid for the installation and it took the guys at Lazer Auto about 25 minutes to install it.Thanks to ShadowVibe for a great product!

[Kissfan79]

Out of curiosuty...how much did they charge for installation?Jim

[ArcsVibe]

I also had a strut bar installed at the same time, they charged me 50.00$CAN taxes included.For a car shop in Montreal that is a steal!!!

[Geo]

Hey Glen1) K&N typhoon Red2) Been installed for 2 weeks now, going on three. 3) No problems whatsoever as of yet!I want to also say that the Typhoon has been a GREAT help as far as upping performance. I highly recommend this intake, as it also comes with K&N's BEST filter that they make. (Yes, it is different from the ones that Injen and AEM as well as all others use) My Brother with a 1.8L Turbo in his GTI is envious of the sound the intake makes while under hard acceleration. You can hear it from inside the car, but a vehicle next to you with all windows rolled up can hear the intake roaring as well - and this with a base model :DPic of the intake: