GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

New to the forum and was curious what is the better buy CAI or the SLP Ram Air

Are you talking a true ram air system, or a ram air hood?

i am talking the true ram air with the hood from slp or a CAI form injen

Well, Nova and maybe one or two others have SLP hoods and can say for sure, but I'm 99% certain the hood as delivered is just cosmetic; it has scoops, but no provision to connect to the engine. With considerable work, one could modify a short ram intake to seal to the scoop, but as supplied it doesn't do a thing for power.(although the weight reduction is nice.)There is a previous thread re this, but in actuality true "ram air" effect is negligible below 100 MPH (and even then, only adds ~1-1/4 %). You're much better off with a CAI (which in my opinion actually gets most of it's benefit from low restriction, not cold air, since the inlet point for the stock system is less than ten degrees above outside air temp.)

What about thishttp://www.slponline.com/view_...0192APair this kit with our Vibe Ram-Air H.O. hood (Part #100192) to create a fully functional forced-induction package. Each kit includes a high-flow conical air filter, rubber bellows, detailed instructions, and all required installation hardware.

Yes, that kit will certainly give you true ram air and should sound great, plus pick up a little colder air than stock, and the filter should have less flow resistance too. The only downside is that the remaining stock components (on a base engine: plastic air bell with a quite restrictive mesh and tight, corrugated hose bends) will add some restriction vs. a good CAI.

To install the SLP ram air hood properly and makes the ram air fonctional, you have to cut a hole in the stock air box.

i think nova had a discussion on the benifit of that hood. search for slp hood. it should come up. but basically, they both pull in colder air and use a cone filter.a cia has a straighter path. but i doubt one would make a lot more power over the other. the cia is far cheaper.but if like the hood then get the ram air kit. i would get the hood for looks first and performance second. if you just want performance, cia.

I agree with satur9. The CAI is a lot cheaper and would probably give better results, but the SLP hood looks really nice. CaCathy has the SLP hood and it looks great on her car. The hood DOES have a functional air system, the scoops open into a passageway underneith the hood and it is routed to a hole that brings the air out right above the stock airbox. The only way I could see getting much benefit from the hood is if the top of the airbox is removed, the filter replaced with a high-flow filter, and some kind of rubber tube made to run from the air outlet underneith the hood directly into the airbox. The stock air tubing that runs from the airbox to the fender should be removed so the only air inlet is from the hood. Probably the best way to make the hood work to the fullest would be to remove the stock air intake system and replace it with a short ram and line it up so that the filter on the short ram is right below the air outlet hole under the SLP hood. If someone is determined enough, they could probably make this hood work right. Perhaps some parts from a ram-air Grand Am could be made to work on the Vibe?

Quote, originally posted by Stang2Vibe »The hood DOES have a functional air system, the scoops open into a passageway underneith the hood and it is routed to a hole that brings the air out right above the stock airbox. The only way I could see getting much benefit from the hood is if the top of the airbox is removed, the filter replaced with a high-flow filter, and some kind of rubber tube made to run from the air outlet underneith the hood directly into the airbox.That's exactly what the SLP install kit does. There is a hole cut in the top of the box and a rubber bellows with a filter on the end that goes in the hole. When the hood is closed, it seals the factory box to the hood.Quote »Probably the best way to make the hood work to the fullest would be to remove the stock air intake system and replace it with a short ram and line it up so that the filter on the short ram is right below the air outlet hole under the SLP hood. If someone is determined enough, they could probably make this hood work right.I already did that about a year and a half ago:

Thanks for the pics, Scott. Definately much easier to show it than to try to describe it. I didn't know that the airbox kit was that complete. A very clean setup . I like it.I knew that you had a short-ram setup on yours, I didn't know if you still had pics of it or how often you still roamed this site.And someone needs to inform SLP that there was no 2002 Vibe.